Press-release
On 26-27 September 2017, the EU–funded seminar “How can the public influence behavioral change in waste management in Ukraine?” was held in Lviv.
The seminar was devoted to discussion of European practices of waste management and the role of civil society in changing the whole system of waste management in Ukraine.
According to Johannes Mayer, head of International Relations Department at Environmental Protection Agency of Austria, the population in Ukraine is quite disciplined, and there should be no problems with compliance with waste legislation, but this legislation and proper compliance mechanisms should be in place.
Thus, the discussions touched upon legislative initiatives in 27 September 2017 the field of waste management and ways of fostering the most progressive and environmentally safe practices.
Technologies for solid domestic waste (SDW) management as well as experiences of Zero waste initiatives in Ukraine and Europe were considered through the prism of comparative analysis of Ukrainian and European experience. European experts from Poland, Austria, Spain, Bulgaria shared their experience and advice how Ukraine can avoid those mistakes that these countries made earlier and how to find the shortest way to reaching the European level of waste management.
Financial mechanisms are important aspect of reformation of the waste sector and thus the discussions focused on financial mechanisms of solid domestic waste management, public impact and control, funding of waste collection, extended producer’s responsibility, reporting, transparency, and control.
The use of regional environmental funds and public participation in international projects aimed at solving waste problems in Ukraine were also in the focus of the seminar.
The seminar included also a practical component where participants analyzed and discussed regional programs of waste management following the methodology developed by EPL. The waste management programs for Odesa and Zakarpattia regions were analyzed and participants produced very reasonable proposals for their improvement.
The seminar ended in development of joint proposals for the public regarding participation in adoption of and control over implementation of regional programs of solid domestic waste management and regarding public participation in the processes of improving the system of waste management in Ukraine in general. The public is the driving force of changes in the society, therefore it is the mission of the civil society to stimulate systematic reformation of the waste management sector in Ukraine.
The seminar was held within the EU–funded project “Ukrainian civil society for European–style waste management” (project budget 493,086 Euro; duration – June 2016 – June 2019).
The project is funded by the European Union.
