Environmental future of Odesa region: Launch of waste recycling plants

Odesa's amalgamated territorial communities are actively working to ensure an environmentally friendly future in the region by finalizing land management documentation for the construction of solid waste recycling plants.

According to Iryna Shatokhina, Director of the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Odesa Regional State Administration, there are 628 authorized landfills in the region with a total area of 1046.32 hectares.

"Without systematic sorting and waste management infrastructure, we face problems," Shatokhina emphasized.

To address these issues, a memorandum was signed between the Odesa Regional State Administration, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, and several local councils. The purpose of the memorandum is to cooperate and partner in the implementation of the National Project for the Construction of Waste Management Plants with a capacity of 50, 100, and 350 thousand tons per year.

According to Iryna Shatokhina, the high level of waste generation and low level of its use as a secondary raw material lead to an aggravation of the environmental crisis and socio-economic problems in Odesa Oblast.

In 2022, 625,490 tons of solid waste were collected, of which 502,780 tons were disposed of in landfills. Waste management plants will be a key element of the solution, representing a complex with sorting lines, organic waste disposal, and energy production using gas piston engines and solar panels.

The communities are currently finalizing the land management documentation for these plants to be located on the designated sites, thus bringing the time for their launch closer.