Ukraine considers incentives to encourage businesses to process waste from Russian attacks

Members of the Ukrainian parliament discuss the possibility of introducing incentives for businesses willing to enter the field of processing and reusing construction waste, as Ukraine faces huge volumes of rubble due to extensive destruction caused by Russian attacks.

The publication RBC-Ukraine reported, citing MP and "Servant of the People" party leader Olena Shuliak, that it's crucial for Ukraine not to bury or burn such waste, as this could worsen the environmental situation due to its specific nature.

According to Shuliak, who chairs the committee on state power organization, local self-government, regional development, and urban planning, construction waste has a long decomposition period and is one of the most dangerous sources of soil and water pollution.

"In other countries, the proportion of construction waste processing averages around 50% of the total volume of construction material production. Ukraine can not only adopt this experience but also partly provide itself with construction materials necessary for reconstruction," Shuliak argued.

The lawmaker explained that businesses mostly understand that demolition debris can be used to make building materials. They are willing to engage in production despite the fact that it is more expensive than traditional manufacturing methods.

Shuliak added that processing such waste is complex, so Ukraine needs a new state program to support companies that recycle construction waste and use their product in road construction or civil engineering.

"It could be either fiscal methods, such as tax reductions, or other incentives, including financial ones. One option could be to introduce mandatory use by manufacturers of some of this recycled waste," the party leader said. "MPs have no single position on how the state will stimulate businesses to enter this field, but they understand that it needs to be done. Discussions are underway on stimulation methods. Overall, this is a huge market, so business approaches working in this field will evolve." 

The official added that MPs have already created a document outlining the steps for primary sorting and storage of such waste. However, the procedure for preparing this waste for reuse still needs to be established — instructions for primary purification, disassembly, and further sorting.

The procedural document is essential, considering that there has already been a negative experience when debris from the destruction of several residential buildings in one of the regions was simply shredded; after that, it's impossible to reuse such waste.

"If we talk about reusing it for the production of certain building materials, we need to understand that primary processing is extremely important; it must be of very high quality. Otherwise, we simply won't be able to reuse such construction waste," Shuliak concluded.

In related news, the Ministry of Community Development, Territories, and Infrastructure wants to use circular economy approaches for Ukraine's reconstruction.

Also, the government has approved a procedure for monitoring waste treatment facilities, which will be carried out by Ukrainian enterprises similarly to EU ones, to determine the impact of their waste processing facilities on the environment and take measures to reduce it.

Ukraine also plans to introduce an environmental tax, as in EU countries, on the burial and placement of waste in landfills, which should stimulate waste processing to leave only waste that cannot be recycled in landfills.