CommunityKievKharkiv Circular Construction Yard: reusing demolition waste near the front lineZero waste in a city under bombardment Zero Waste Kharkiv: a member of the Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine: is running a Circular Construction Yard initiative that reuses demolition waste generated by Russian bombardment. Working close to the front line, the team documents, salvages, and routes reusable construction materials: bricks, steel, wood, and rubble: back into repair and rebuilding projects, keeping them out of landfills and reducing the need for virgin materials. What the initiative involves - Identifying and documenting reusable materials from demolished buildings - Coordinating with construction and repair teams to route salvaged materials to active rebuilding projects - Researching Ukrainian and EU law on demolition waste to propose stronger circular procurement requirements - Demonstrating that circular economy principles are applicable even in active conflict conditions Why it matters Every city rebuilding from disaster, whether conflict, flood, or earthquake, faces the same question: do we landfill or reuse? Kharkiv's Circular Construction Yard is developing a methodology that can serve any city going through large-scale reconstruction, even under bombardment. How to engage - International organisations working in Ukraine: contact Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine (ZWAU) to coordinate salvage logistics with the Circular Construction Yard - Researchers and policy advocates: ZWAU's legal research on demolition waste regulations is available: support the push for circular procurement mandates in Ukraine's post-war rebuilding plan - Donors and foundations: the programme runs on limited resources close to the front line; direct support enables its continuation Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Editorial note: Kharkiv is in an active conflict zone. This programme operates under extraordinary conditions; all participation should be coordinated through established humanitarian and NGO channels. - Lead: Zero Waste Kharkiv + Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine (ZWAU) - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th editiondemolition-wastecircularwartimereusereconstruction
CommunityKievZaporizhzhia: zero waste community programme: podcast, workshops, local plansBuilding zero waste culture in a city close to the front Zero Waste Zaporizhzhia: a member of the Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine: promotes zero waste principles in the Zaporizhzhia community through local waste management plans, reuse/repair workshops, a podcast, and social media education. The programme deliberately keeps building skills and culture in a city facing severe disruption, demonstrating that zero waste work continues even under wartime conditions. What the programme covers - Local and regional waste management plans developed and submitted to authorities - Reuse and repair workshops open to residents: practical skill-building in mending, fixing, and repurposing - A podcast reaching Zaporizhzhia residents with zero waste content designed for the local context - Social media education campaigns tailored to community needs during the ongoing conflict How to engage - Zaporizhzhia residents: follow Zero Waste Zaporizhzhia on social media and attend workshops when they are running safely - International zero waste networks: amplify Zero Waste Zaporizhzhia's work: visibility and solidarity matter for a team working under difficult conditions - Podcast listeners: find and share the Zero Waste Zaporizhzhia podcast to extend its reach Why it matters Zero waste culture cannot wait for peace. Workshops, podcasts, and local plans keep repair and reuse skills alive in Zaporizhzhia, showing that community-led waste work persists even when cities are under severe disruption. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Editorial note: Zaporizhzhia is located near an active conflict zone. Programme activities depend on local safety conditions. - Lead: Zero Waste Zaporizhzhia + Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine (ZWAU) - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th editioneducationpodcastworkshopsreuserepair
Food & GardenKievUkraine bio-waste roadmap: a guide for small communities starting from scratchA practical roadmap built from real village composting pilots Based on the composting work in Pidkamin, Zabolotsiv, and Horokhiv (Lviv and Volyn oblasts), Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine developed a Bio-waste Management Roadmap for Small Communities: a guide that walks any community of under 20,000 residents through setting up and running a bio-waste composting system. The roadmap incorporates lessons from what worked in the pilot communities and what didn't. What the roadmap covers - Step-by-step infrastructure planning: composter siting, type selection, and capacity calculation - Resident engagement strategies that work in small rural communities - Monitoring and reporting templates for tracking waste diversion - Legal framework analysis under current Ukrainian waste legislation - Permaculture design elements (such as replacing annual plantings with perennials) that reduce garden waste generation upstream How to engage - Ukrainian community leaders and local officials: request the roadmap from Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine for use in your own municipality - International donors: the roadmap is the key output of the LIFE-funded ForkToFarm project in Ukraine: support its translation and distribution to more communities - Ukrainian NGOs and educators: incorporate the roadmap into municipal capacity-building workshops Why it matters Small rural communities rarely have waste consultants on call. A roadmap built from real village composting pilots gives any town under 20,000 residents a step-by-step path, infrastructure, engagement, and monitoring included. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. - Lead: Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine (ZWAU) + Ecological News NGO - Funded by: LIFE EU programme (ForkToFarm project) - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th editionbio-wasteroadmapsmall-communitiescompostingrural
CommunityKievUkraine: advocating for deposit return and packaging EPR in wartime legislationBuilding a better packaging law while the country defends itself Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine participates in the working group developing Ukraine's Law on Packaging and Packaging Waste, advocating for mandatory deposit return systems (DRS) and refill requirements alongside standard Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) provisions. The Alliance submitted 32 signatures from civil society organisations in a joint letter on technical waste incineration requirements: and the Ministry incorporated most of its recommendations. What the advocacy covers - Drafting submissions to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Law working group - Advocating for DRS provisions (with partial success: the final bill has not yet included refill targets) - Submitting joint civil society letters on incineration technical standards, with impact on final regulation - Collaboration with the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) Committee on Environmental Policy How to engage - Ukrainian civil society organisations: join the ZWAU network and contribute to the next round of packaging law submissions - International EPR advocates: connect with Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine to share examples from EU packaging legislation that can strengthen the Ukrainian law - Businesses operating in Ukraine: engage proactively with the DRS working group: getting ahead of the regulation is better than reacting to it Why it matters Packaging law written during wartime will shape Ukraine's post-war economy for decades. Civil society advocacy for deposit return and refill keeps circular principles in the draft, so rebuilding does not lock in disposable packaging by default. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. - Lead: Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine (ZWAU) - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th editionpolicypackagingdeposit-returnEPRadvocacy
KievData a definirBio-waste composting in Pidkamin, Zabolotsiv, and Horokhiv: 23 public composters23 composters, three communities, one shared roadmap In Pidkamin (Lviv oblast), Zabolotsiv (Lviv oblast), and Horokhiv (Volyn oblast), Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine installed 23 public composters in schools, hospitals, and community facilities: establishing the first systematic bio-waste composting systems in these small rural communities. Individual waste management plans were developed for each community, and the project generated the data behind Ukraine's Bio-waste Roadmap for Small Communities. Where - Pidkamin, Zabolotsiv (Lviv oblast) + Horokhiv (Volyn oblast), western Ukraine (approximate pin at Pidkamin) - All three communities are in western Ukraine, well away from active conflict zones How to participate - Residents of the three communities: use the composting points at schools and community buildings; follow the guidance on what to compost and how to avoid contamination - Community leaders: work with Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine to expand the programme to new sites within your community - Other Ukrainian small communities: request the roadmap and contact ZWAU for support replicating this model Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. - Lead: Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine (ZWAU) + Ecological News NGO - LIFE project: ForkToFarm (EU LIFE programme) - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th edition
KievData a definirChornomorsk Reuse and Repair Centre (in development)Ukraine's Black Sea coast building a repair hub Ecological News (a member of Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine) is developing a Reuse and Repair Centre in Chornomorsk (Odesa oblast): a venue where residents can bring items to be repaired, swapped, or redirected to reuse. The centre is in the early development phase as of 2024, supported through ZWAU's network. Where - Chornomorsk, Odesa oblast, Black Sea coast, Ukraine (approximate pin at Chornomorsk) - Chornomorsk is on Ukraine's southwestern coast, outside the primary conflict zone How to participate - Chornomorsk residents: follow Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine and Ecological News for the centre's opening announcement - Repair volunteers and craftspeople in the Odesa region: contact ZWAU to register as a repair volunteer for the centre once it opens - Donors and foundations: the centre development can benefit from funding and in-kind support: contact ZWAU for specifics Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Note: This centre is in development; participation opportunities will open as the venue is established. - Lead: Ecological News NGO + Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine (ZWAU) - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th edition
