On January 4, 2019 Khmelnytskyi City Council, Spetskomuntrans, a Khmelnytskyi utility company; and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) signed a EUR 15 million Pre-financing Agreement for a project to invest in improvement of the city’s municipal solid waste infrastructure. The project has two components:
- rehabilitation of the existing landfill, acquisition of new landfill equipment, and improvements of the MSW collection and transportation systems.
- reduction of the amount of MSW going to the landfill by promoting recycling and providing a modern MSW management infrastructure including sorting and composting. This component also ensures that a long-term, sustainable MSW management strategy will be properly implemented.
- Khmelnytskyi became the second city in Ukraine to sign such an agreement with EBRD. The City has also secured a EUR 5 million investment grant approved by Neighbourhood Investment Platform for this project.
The City of Khmelnytskyi is faced with a number of significant municipal solid waste (MSW) issues that directly affect its 265,000 residents. High on the list is a 60-year old dumpsite that is far beyond its designed capacity.
To address its landfill issue as well as to bring Khmelnytskyi waste management systems to Ukrainian and EU standards, the mayor appointed an interdepartmental working group of City staff, Spetskomuntrans staff and others to develop a comprehensive plan.
Working in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Finance Corporation, the group has established a plan, called Smart Environment Khmelnytskyi. It is one of the first projects of its type in Ukraine undertaken by a municipal government.