Foundation for Changes Supports the Establishment of a National Waste Management Association

As Ukraine’s waste management reform is moving from developing a legislative framework towards practical implementation, it becomes increasingly important to ensure sustained communication across government, municipalities, businesses, waste operators, and experts.

In 2026, Foundation for Changes supported this process by facilitating research into possible models for a professional waste management association in Ukraine and organising two expert roundtables to discuss the findings and develop a practical model for a future National Waste Management Association. With the support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) implementing partner, these activities formed a continuous process — from identifying challenges and gathering stakeholder perspectives to analysing European experience, exploring institutional models, and developing specific documents for establishing the association.

From Identifying Challenges to Joint Solutions

The first roundtable, held in January 2026, focused on the findings of research into key challenges and possible solutions in Ukraine’s waste management sector.

The discussion brought together representatives of the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine, municipalities and local authorities, and civil society organisations.

Participants discussed the main challenges faced by municipalities and explored possible institutional solutions. Particular attention was given to waste management in protected areas in Zakarpattia, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, including territories within the scope of the Carpathian Convention.*

The discussion provided an opportunity to examine the reform not only from a regulatory perspective but also through the practical experience of those implementing it, contributing to recommendations for further developing Ukraine’s waste management system.

European Experience as a Basis for a Ukrainian Model

As part of the research, the expert group analysed European approaches to professional associations in the waste management sector.

Particular attention was given to models in Austria, Germany, and Sweden, where professional associations play an important role in sector development, representing market participants, facilitating professional dialogue, sharing expertise, and contributing to policy development.

Drawing on international experience and Ukraine’s specific institutional context, experts identified several possible models for a professional association:

• a nationwide association of waste management operators representing market participants;

• an umbrella organisation bringing together local authorities, municipal enterprises, and private operators;

• a specialised association of local authorities established under Ukraine’s legislation on associations of local self-government bodies.

Experts stressed that a future National Waste Management Association should not create a parallel system of representation. Instead, it should work in cooperation with existing national and regional organisations, sectoral associations, and producer organisations. This would help avoid duplication and improve coordination among stakeholders involved in the reform.

From Concept to Specific Instruments

The next stage was a professional roundtable held in a hybrid format jointly with the Professional Association of Environmentalists of Ukraine (PAEW).

The discussion moved beyond the general rationale for establishing a professional association to focus on specific documents and arrangements for its operation.

Participants reviewed:

• the draft Concept for the establishment and operation of the National Waste Management Association;

• the draft Statutes of the future organisation;

• the proposed governance and membership model;

• registration documents;

• a roadmap for establishing and developing the Association.

The discussion brought together representatives of businesses, municipalities, professional associations, and the expert community, allowing the proposed model to be considered from the perspectives of different stakeholders.

What Could the Future Association Do?

Based on the expert work, several potential areas of activity for the future National Waste Management Association were identified. These include collecting, analysing, and sharing information on waste management; facilitating the exchange of practical experience between municipalities and market operators; professional training; and public awareness activities.

An important function could become the development of common approaches to interpreting and applying waste management legislation, particularly as Ukraine continues to implement EU legislation and update its regulatory framework.

The Association could also provide an independent professional platform for discussing draft legislation, economic regulatory instruments, tariff policy, infrastructure requirements, and new producer obligations under extended producer responsibility schemes.

Strengthening the institutional capacity of municipalities and market operators is another important area. The Association could support this through practical training materials, professional events, and the dissemination of successful waste management practices.

Why Professional Representation Matters

The consultations highlighted a systemic challenge for Ukraine’s waste management reform in the lack of a permanent platform where government, municipalities, businesses, and waste operators can regularly coordinate their positions.

Without such dialogue, regulatory changes may not always be sufficiently aligned with the practical capacity to implement them at the local level. A National Waste Management Association could help address this gap, provided that it remains open to different stakeholders, operates transparently, and complements rather than duplicates the work of existing professional organisations.

* Background: The Carpathian Convention

The Carpathian Convention is an international framework for the protection and sustainable development of the Carpathian region. Its Parties are seven countries of Central and Eastern Europe: Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Czechia, and Serbia.

In Ukraine, the Convention’s area of application covers territories in Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Chernivtsi regions. The Ukrainian part of the Convention’s area covers approximately 56,600 km², including foothill and lowland areas falling within the designated Convention area.

Effective waste management is particularly important in this region due to its exceptional ecological value, protected areas, tourism and recreational development, cross-border environmental challenges, and the need to safeguard the unique ecosystems of the Carpathians.