Kyiv, 16 April 2024 — The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Ukraine, supported by funding from the European Union (EU) and the government of Japan, has announced provision of essential waste management equipment to over 19 communities across Ukraine. 

This initiative aims to tackle challenges faced by war-affected communities by helping them efficiently remove and process debris, while also providing tools for municipal waste transport.

A range of equipment was provided to Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kherson, and Mykolaiv oblasts, and this was one of the largest handovers of municipal waste vehicles in Ukrainian history. It included 52 waste collection trucks and 63 units of heavy machinery for debris removal work, such as dump trucks, tracked and wheeled excavators, and two types of loaders. The following equipment was announced:

• 35 waste collection trucks and four units of heavy equipment for twelve communities of Kyiv and Chernihiv oblasts, funded by the EU and the government of Japan.
• 17 waste collection trucks, four dump trucks, and eight units of equipment for managing demolition waste for the city of Chernihiv and five communities in Chernihiv Oblast, supported by the government of Japan.
• 41 units of heavy machinery for the Kherson Oblast municipal emergency and rescue service, funded by the government of Japan, to serve several communities across the oblast.
• Sets of equipment for processing demolition waste, including machines for sorting and crushing materials for the communities of Bucha, Chernihiv, and Mykolaiv were supplied with backing from the European Union. 
• 28,000 waste bins and recycling equipment for municipal waste for Kyiv and Chernihiv oblasts funded by the EU and the government of Japan.

At the equipment handover ceremony, delegates toured a debris recycling site in Bucha, Kyiv Oblast, which was set up with UNDP and EU assistance. This initiative aims to develop one of Ukraine's first sustainable, full-cycle debris recycling facilities, able to quickly process over 75,000 cubic meters of demolition waste collected at the Bucha landfill. The UNDP in Ukraine and the EU are offering strategic support, expertise, worker training, and equipment provision to facilitate this endeavor.

During his visit, Peter M. Wagner, Director of the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, emphasized the EU’s commitment to Ukraine’s sustainable recovery efforts, stating: "Ukrainian communities have endured immense devastation, and our objective is to equip them with the means not only to reconstruct but also to do so in a sustainable manner.” He added, “By enhancing local waste management capabilities, the EU hopes to restore normalcy to communities as soon as possible."

Yasumasa Iijima, Minister-Counsellor of the Embassy of Japan in Ukraine, expressed his respect to the committed people taking part in building back better their communities, stating, “Japan is happy to support those heroic communities and oblasts in clearing debris and managing municipal waste.” 

While commending UNDP as a strong partner in supporting these efforts, Iijima added, “Having witnessed the devastation of destroyed structures firsthand, Japan places great importance on supporting debris clearance efforts in Ukraine. We are prepared to share our own experiences and remain steadfast in our commitment to stand by Ukraine until victory and beyond.”

Anna Yurchenko, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister for Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Development on Issues of European Integration, extended her gratitude to UNDP, the EU, and the government of Japan for supplying equipment for waste management, underscoring how much it is needed in the communities. 

"In many communities, especially those that went through occupation, essential utility equipment has been destroyed, while the remaining units are outdated and in need of repair or replacement,” Yurchenko said, "Residents are in dire need of equipment such as waste collection trucks and machinery for debris removal to restore their quality of life and promote the safe return home of many displaced individuals.”

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Ukraine Christophoros Politis emphasized the transformative nature of this initiative, stating, “Today, we’re addressing two critical areas affected by the war in Ukraine: the destruction of buildings and the impairment of essential services. It’s a leap towards enabling the full cycle of debris management – the safe removal, sorting, recycling, and reuse of waste.” 

He also emphasized the importance of investing in communities and ensuring an inclusive, green and fair recovery process, highlighting and reconfirming UNDP’s contribution to advancing the “building back better and greener” approach to reconstruction.

Background: Since the start of the full-scale war, tens of millions of tons of debris has been created in Ukraine. Together with partners, UNDP is working to strengthen the waste management capacities of communities across Ukraine. The current efforts include equipment provision and clearing debris in communities of Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Kharkiv oblasts. In total, 228,000 tonnes of debris, mostly from the destroyed private houses, have been removed under UNDP projects.

Media inquiries: Yulia Samus, Communications Officer, UNDP Ukraine, yuliia.samus@undp.org