Panel 1

Does the Waste Management Planning System Work? National, Regional and Local Levels
- How does the waste management planning system work in Ukraine?- Local Waste Management Plans (LWMPs). First results of 2025–2026 — where are the weak points in the National and Regional Plans?- Is there a gap between strategic planning and the actual capacities of communities?- The cluster approach to waste management. Can communities pool their resources?- Intermunicipal cooperation. Economies of scale in waste management- Who should coordinate the system: the state, regions, or associations of communities?- How can international support be integrated into the practical implementation of LWMPs?
Preliminarily confirmed topics and speakers:
Problematic aspects of the development and implementation of regional and local waste management plans. Oleksandr Ihnatenko.Approaches to developing cluster concepts in municipal waste management. Maryna Sadkina.Oleksandr Yehorov, Director of LKP “Zelene Misto”.

Panel 2

A Fair Tariff. Calculation, Challenges and Experience
- What constitutes a “fair tariff”?- Why do tariffs often become politicized?- How should tariff increases be communicated to the community?- European experience: PAYT (Pay-As-You-Throw).
Preliminarily confirmed topics and speakers:
Ways to improve tariff policy in Ukraine. Weine Wiqvist.

Panel 3

Waste as a Resource. From Sorting to a Circular Economy
- What actually works in Ukraine: sorting, composting, local facilities?
- Which solutions are the most affordable and effective for communities?
- Where is the economic value? Which waste streams are already generating revenue?
- How can a stable market for recyclable materials be created?
- What prevents scaling: regulation, tariffs, lack of feedstock, or lack of public awareness?
- How can residents be motivated to become part of the economic model, rather than viewing waste management solely as an environmental issue?
Preliminarily confirmed topics and speakers:
“Waste as a Resource. From Sorting to a Circular Economy.” Oksana Mylyanyk. Expert on Ukraine Facility and circular economy issues, Recovery and Reform Support Team at the Ministry of Economy.
Yaroslav Holizdra. Director of the Municipal Enterprise “Derhachi Ecoresource” of the Derhachi City Council.
Iryna Myronova.
Executive Director of “Zero Waste Lviv”. Waste management expert.
Yevhen Barakh.
“Waste processing plant in Zhytomyr, production of SRF fuel and technical soil.”

Panel 4                 

Landfills and Illegal Dump Sites. From Crisis to Systemic Management
- The real scale of the problem. Do the state and communities have a complete and up-to-date inventory of landfills and illegal dump sites?
- Landfill reclamation. Who should finance it — the state, communities, or donors? Which models are actually working in Ukraine?
- New landfills — a necessity or a political risk? Where is the line between “it cannot be built” and “there is nowhere to take the waste”?
- The role of the state and local self-government.
- Who should drive change and be accountable for the results?
Preliminarily confirmed topics and speakers:
Ivan Pidopryhora — Deputy Director of the Khmelnytskyi Municipal Enterprise “Spetskomuntrans”, Head of the “Smart Environment. Khmelnytskyi” Office.

Panel 5

International Financing in the Waste Management Sector. From Grants to Implemented Projects. What Financing Models Work in Ukraine?
- What do communities need to secure financing? (Project readiness, tariffs, guarantees, political will)- Why are some projects not implemented? Where are the bottlenecks — management, legislation, co-financing?- How can successful cases be scaled up? Can solutions be replicated between cities?
Preliminarily confirmed topics and speakers:
Results and further areas of activity of the WM4U Programme. Olha Hlazunova.Legislative requirements for receiving and using humanitarian aid in the field of municipal waste management. Oleksandr Ihnatenko.

Panel 6

Construction and Demolition Waste. A Problem or a Resource for Reconstruction?
- Do we know the actual volumes of construction and demolition waste, and is there a systematic inventory?- Who is responsible for managing construction and demolition waste, and are there clear rules of the game in Ukraine?- Recycling and infrastructure. Is Ukraine capable of processing this waste on an industrial scale, or does it all end up in landfills?- Economics and business models. Can construction and demolition waste become a profitable market, and which models are already working?- Reconstruction and the role of international partners. How can this waste be integrated into the recovery process with the support of the World Bank, UNDP and the European Union?
Preliminarily confirmed topics and speakers:
“Analysis of Best Practices in Communities in the Management of Construction and Demolition Waste.”Sofiia Shutiak — Analyst of consolidated information at the Municipal Enterprise “Institute of the City”; attorney; Deputy Head of the Agricultural, Land and Environmental Law Committee of the National Bar Association of Ukraine.

Panel 7         

“Waste That Heats: RDF, Alternative Fuels and Community Energy Resilience”
Can waste help communities get through the heating season?A new approach to waste is emerging in Ukraine — from a disposal problem to a resource for the economy and energy sector. RDF and other types of prepared alternative fuels can become one of the elements of this transformation.The panel proposes an open, practical discussion about what is needed to make the transition “from waste to resource, from resource to energy.”
Panel Questions:
- RDF: waste or an energy resource?- Is Ukraine ready to use waste as an alternative fuel?- Which types of waste are suitable for conversion into RDF?- Where is the line between recycling and energy recovery?- Can RDF genuinely strengthen the energy independence of communities?- What needs to change in infrastructure, legislation and the economic model?- How can the environmental safety of alternative fuel use be ensured?- Which solutions can be implemented as early as the next heating season?
Preliminarily confirmed topics and speakers:
Development of waste-to-energy solutions in Ukraine. (COWI Consultant).