Українська
Since Ukraine adopted the Law “On Waste Management”, municipalities have been faced with a pressing question: how to reduce the volumes of municipal solid waste sent to landfill? Some municipalities are already working on this: identifying the quantities and types of waste, the places where it is generated, and selecting the necessary infrastructure.
It may not be possible to avoid landfilling entirely, but reducing the volumes going to landfill sites is entirely realistic. To understand how, we turn to Aliona Perebynos — environmental specialist and researcher in the field of waste management and circular economy, Candidate of Technical Sciences, co-author and technical coordinator of the project “Zero Waste Cities in Ukraine”.
Mechanical biological treatment of waste —what is it?
Landfilling must be preceded by the treatment of mixed municipal waste. However, this requirement has not yet come into force in Ukraine. Nor does the legislation make any mention of mechanical biological treatment (hereinafter — MBT). Yet it is precisely 126 such facilities that are envisaged by the National Waste Management Plan up to 2033. There are no specifics about either the waste streams to which the technology should be applied or the safe approaches for its implementation. As a result, municipalities each interpret this in their own way, overlooking important nuances.
Mechanical biological treatment involves a sequence of operations applied to mixed municipal waste: first, the mechanical extraction of materials — in simpler terms, sorting — and then the biological treatment of the residuals. Two approaches may be applied here.
Resource-oriented approach
All attention is directed toward the separation of recyclable materials from the mixed waste stream for recycling. On an automated sorting line, metals, glass, and plastics are extracted. It is important to understand that the quality of recyclables obtained from mixed municipal waste will be low and is unlikely to meet market requirements; therefore, in order to achieve waste recovery targets, separate collection of municipal solid waste at the source of generation must be introduced.
The organic fraction separated at the initial stage, together with the residual waste after sorting, undergoes biological treatment — that is, composting. This process is also referred to as biological stabilisation and is intended to reduce the volume of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane, during the landfilling of waste. The result of this operation is a compost-like output, which can be used in landfill site management.
Energy-oriented approach
Known as “waste-to-energy” or the production of Refuse-Derived Fuel (hereinafter — RDF). The primary focus is on extracting the non-combustible fraction from mixed municipal waste (metals, glass, etc.), as well as hazardous plastics that reduce the quality of the fuel. This is followed by drying, shredding, and pressing into pellets or briquettes.
In Ukraine, interest in MBT facilities has grown primarily due to the possibility of producing RDF. This fuel can substitute for or supplement fossil fuels at cement plants or combined heat and power plants. Modernised boiler houses and power stations can also operate on it. For this reason, some municipalities, seeking ways to achieve energy resilience, consider the transition to RDF a logical step.
However, it is important to understand the full technological chain and to know what you will obtain as a result — after waste treatment.
The answer will influence the choice of infrastructure, the required site area for its construction, the amount of additional equipment needed, and the specialists to be involved. All of this shapes the project budget, and this is something we emphasise to the municipalities we work with under the LIFE project “Zero Waste Cities in Ukraine”: Lutsk, Kherson, Derhachi in Kharkiv Oblast, and Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast. Together we are developing solutions for effective waste management in these cities. Over two of the project’s four years, we have already completed several stages: from familiarisation with European experience to data collection and analysis, as well as the preparation of municipal solid waste management strategies. We have now moved on to the selection of infrastructure, and in discussions, representatives of local self-government bodies and municipal enterprises frequently raise the idea of an MBT facility with RDF production. However, we advise against rushing into this.
How we recommend setting up the process
When discussing infrastructure options with LIFE project participants, we do not recommend starting with MBT — especially with RDF production.
Start with composting. Since bio-waste accounts for 40–50% of the total volume of municipal solid waste, and it is bio-waste that contaminates recyclables and produces methane at landfill sites, composting must be the first priority. Build a composting station first, and then assess what additional capacity is needed for the mechanical biological treatment of residual waste.
Set up secondary sorting of recyclables. Consider building a mechanised sorting station for separately collected recyclable materials. These require additional sorting before being sent to recycling companies.
The configuration of such a station will depend on the technological scheme for the separate collection of packaging and other recyclables. Paper and glass generally do not require thorough additional sorting — perhaps only a quick manual check for contaminants. To separate metals, which are recommended for collection together with plastics, it is better to install separators on the line. This will speed up the process.
Organise a space for the accumulation of recyclables prior to recycling. Recycling companies find it uneconomical to collect 100 kilograms of waste at a time — they need considerably more. Designate an area where you can accumulate recyclable materials, so that a truck can collect the necessary volumes in a single trip.
There is an interesting paradox: Ukrainian legislation sets targets for separate collection and recycling, yet in practice the infrastructure is being built for the mixed waste fraction. At the same time, MBT facilities — which local authorities so often target — will not incentivise separate collection, sorting, and in general everything that prevents waste generation in the first place. There is a clear shortage of mechanised sorting lines and composting stations for bio-waste treatment.
Before building waste infrastructure, we recommend clearly distinguishing between the approaches a municipality intends to embed in a future MBT facility. Although the resource-oriented approach is not ideal either, it at least allows for the extraction of materials suitable for recycling. From an economic standpoint, the resource-oriented model requires lower initial investment and scales flexibly, whereas RDF production demands significant capital outlay and can only ensure a rapid return on investment under conditions of a stable market.
Municipalities should approach the choice of technology with greater care, taking into account the financial, environmental, and reputational risks, and bearing in mind: effective waste management ultimately prevents waste generation — and therefore reduces the volumes sent to landfill.
The full version of the article is available on our blog on the “Decentralisation” portal.
This article was prepared within the framework of the project “Zero Waste Cities in Ukraine” is co-funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.