Ministry of Regional Development with government experts and business representatives elaborate ways to reform solid household waste management system

The situation which occurred in Ukraine in the area of handling industrial waste and household requires an urgent action and adoption of effective measures.

First Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities of Ukraine Volodymyr Kistion during a panel discussion "A Reform of Management of Packaging Waste: on the Way towards the EU", which took place at the Government House on April9.

During the event, which was initiated by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine with the support of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, European Business Association and the Ukrainian Packaging and Environmental Coalition, the participants discussed issues of reforming the sphere of packaging waste in compliance with the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU, and establishment of an appropriate legislative framework for deregulation and efficient functioning of the industry.

"In Ukraine there is rapidly growing the quantity and the variety of municipal solid waste (MSW), in which a significant portion comprise just packaging materials. Analysis of production, recycling and disposal of packaging waste as secondary raw materials at the state level is hardly carried out. Instead, the burden of solving these matters and financial support to ensure collection of packaging waste have been transferred to the regions and their budgets," informed Volodymyr Kistion.

According to him, today a separate waste collection system is being introduced at the account of funds from paying rents, but should be done at the expense of manufacturers of packaged goods. According to the First Deputy Minister, just then there will appear an economic impetus and will reduce the financial burden on citizens.

To address this issue, the working group established by the Ministry of Regional Development with the specialists of the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Economic Development, representatives of businesses and local self-governments, drafted and developed a bill of Ukraine "On packaging and packaging waste”, which envisages, in particular, the introduction of a principle of extended producer’s responsibility.

"The main purpose of this bill is to improve a separate waste collection system in Ukraine, integrated waste management and recycling of packaging, to increase their use as secondary raw materials. In addition, we believe that this law will facilitate creating conditions for fair competition between economic entities in this area, implementation of the European experience in the operation of this system, environmental safety and prevention of the negative impact of packaging waste on human health," stressed Volodymyr Kistion.