According to the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics of National Academy of Science of Ukraine annually in cities and towns of Ukraine about 40 million cubic meters (10 million tons) of municipal solid waste, per capita - about 0.8 cubic meters, are produced. At the same time, experts note that at least 90 % of MSW are exported to more than 700 officially existing landfills and dumps. However, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, 80% of them do not comply with the requirements of environmental safety in relation to groundwater contamination and air basin.
Such statistics makes us constantly return to the topic of the collection and recycling of municipal solid waste, learn best practices in solid waste management in Europe, analyze systems operating in Ukraine. It is worth noting that we have this area is roughly divided into two cycles, which became distinct business projects: the actual collection and utilization (recycling). Although, it is difficult to call the second direction a business because apart from the fact that recycling needs enormous sums of money, nothing else can be said. World practice is of no use here: worldwide business of collection and recycling of solid waste is subsidized. Our state is unlikely to find funds for subsidizing such activities. Therefore, in the Ukrainian business circles do not discuss subsidies, but at least tax benefits to companies that plan to deal not only with collection, but also with waste disposal.
For example, waste management in Germany is a whole industrial sector, which in addition to competent handling with solid waste and minimization of negative impact on the environment provides almost a waste-free production of recycling and electricity. Here, waste is divided into three broad categories: domestic, industrial and bio-waste. Needless to say that garbage is taken out in accordance with the schedule and people, separating waste for storage in appropriate containers, do not understand how it is not possible to get into the garbage container of 1.1 cubic meters in size.
Another important area in the context of the solid waste problem is the collection of biogas at the landfill of any size. Moreover, feasibility study should determine the feasibility of biogas utilization in terms of energy production and if it is not profitable, it must be burned in a flare. Today, however, experts only express the hope that in the near future in Ukraine collection systems and in some cases, biogas utilization should become a natural part of the reclamation projects of closing landfills, as well as projects of new landfills.
The requirement for the construction of such systems will be increasingly relevant in terms of the harmonization of laws and regulations of Ukraine and the EU.
In the meantime, the country lacks effective mechanisms to control the sphere of solid waste. Separate business structures, despite the considerable commercial risk, are engaged mainly in the collection of solid waste, but at the same time developing investment projects on recycling. Among them there is CC DMS –ECO structural enterprise of Financial and Industrial DMS Corporation. In this business the company has been operating since 2006, mastering cities of Donetsk region. The company, with 135 employees, provides cities like Hartsyzsk, Ilovajsk partially Makeyevka and Gorlovka with serves. The company’s own investments in this area are several million dollars.
Today DMS - ECO has its own fleet of vehicles consisting of 25 units, and the Euro- standard containers with a capacity of 1.1 and 0.75 cubic meters in the amount of 1.9 thousand, and 2 landfills with the right to service. For example, only in Makeyevka, where DMS - ECO covers no more than 30% of the territory, 720 containers mainly of Euro type are installed. There is a bulldozer working on landfills among vehicles that collect garbage. “Having our own equipment allows us, first and foremost, to think about quality and not about speed,” - says Ivan Bliznyukov, the director of the company. – “For example, DMS-ECO employees engaged in garbage removal, never allow themselves to leave garbage next to the already cleaned container, including the litter that inhabitants did not put into container. It is our professional and personal culture,” - said Ivan Bliznyukov.
The nearest plans of the young ambitious team include 100% coverage of Makeevka and Gorlovka, solid waste removal in Donetsk and Nikolaev. At the same time geography of service will be continuously expanded. The company is interested in large cities with large concentration of waste suitable for recycling production. It is necessary for the implementation of the investment project prepared to create a range of services and activities in the field of solid waste management.
Another important area of development the leadership of CC DMS – ECO sees in increasing of the territory of their own landfills through the exploitation of new areas, and by opening new places at sites in use. Today, the company operates two landfills in Khartsyzk and Ilovaisk. “Having our own landfills is a great social responsibility: we are responsible for the quality of waste storage and disposal, regularly pay environmental tax (now - 7-9% of the monthly gross income)”, - says Ivan Bliznyukov.
Payment for services, for garbage collection at 90% and the evaluation of company’s work by local authorities inspire optimism about the prospects for DMS - ECO in solid waste collection. In its turn, the company supports the initiatives of the authorities to optimize the solid waste management. According to Ivan Bliznyukov, construction of waste treatment plants is absolutely necessary to Donetsk. Also it is planned to locate marshalling yards in each district. These measures would eliminate dumps and allow receipt of recoverable resources from solid waste.
However, in DMS-ECO say that the implementation of these activities is possible only with the support of state and local authorities. In Ukraine, for example, the state compensation of bank interest loans for the construction of facilities for waste treatment plants is provided. Today, however, this programme does not work. And there is no guarantee that the local authorities will simplify the procedure for allocation of land sites for recycling plants. “We are not talking about the budget financing for waste treatment plants, although it is a worldwide practice. But for the compensation mechanisms of interest on loans and extreme bureaucratization of land allotment, it is possible to achieve zero profitability,” - says Ivan Bliznyukov.
Today Environment Day is celebrated in Ukraine. Taking into account environmental situation, this day can hardly be called a holiday. But every person is able to change the situation, starting with oneself: not to produce illegal dumps, leave trash in a special container, regularly pay for its removal and appreciate people who invest their money in this business. “Yes, this activity involves making profit. But we never forget about the social significance of what we do. At the same time when we are searching for an investor and the company’s specialists are preparing an investment project for processing solid waste into recyclable materials and energy, which will allow to clean Donetsk and other cities of waste debris, daily qualified work for garbage collection never stops,”- said the director of DMS - ECO Ivan Bliznyukov.
