Voting for waste recycling complex failed in Mykolaiv

In Mykolaiv, members of the city council did not support the decision to approve the procedure for the operation of a household waste sorting complex.

This became known during a session of the Mykolaiv City Council.

During the consideration of the issue, it was reminded that the city must comply with a court decision - in particular, the Supreme Court had previously recognized the city council's inaction as illegal and ordered it to start construction of the facility. In addition, according to the requirements, by January 1, 2030, all landfills in Ukraine must either be modernized to European standards or closed.

Despite this, the MPs did not support the decision.

During the discussion, MP Fedir Panchenko noted that the terms of the contract remain unchanged: the utility company must not only deliver waste for recycling, but also pay for these services. In his opinion, this may lead to the accumulation of debts and further increase in tariffs for residents and businesses.

Deputy Dmytro Sachko asked how much income the city would receive under the new conditions. As it turned out, the percentage of remuneration has not been increased, as the city transfers only waste to the contractor without additional resources.

According to the project, the contractor's remuneration was to be determined as a percentage of the income from the sale of sorted waste, and the funds would be used to maintain the landfill through Mykolaivkomuntrans.

The tender was planned to be held for up to 15 years with the possibility of extension for another 10 years.

Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych also recalled the previous scandal around the project: in 2025, law enforcement officers investigated possible abuses in the selection of the contractor, and the total budget of the initiative was estimated at UAH 1.25 billion.

As previously reported by Intent, Mykolaiv City Council has approved changes to the procedure for the operation of the household waste sorting complex. This involves a new approach to the tender and financing of the city's solid waste landfill.

As stated in the draft decision, the tender will be held for a period of no more than 15 years. At least six months before the end of the contract, the sorting entity may propose to city deputies to extend it for another 10 years. The amount of remuneration and the terms of operation of the complex specified in the protocol are binding and cannot be changed by the parties to the contract.

Last year in September, police opened a case over alleged abuses by Mykolaiv City Council officials during a tender for waste sorting. The investigation focuses on the process of selecting a contractor to provide sorting services, with a project budget of UAH 1.25 billion.

Back in September 2024, MPs voted to approve the procedure for the tender for the construction of a sorting station, but the document did not gain support at first. At the time, Senkevych emphasized that it was a technical issue that needed to be approved.

In January 2025, the Mykolaiv City Council was ordered by the court to start construction of a household waste treatment plant. The Supreme Court confirmed the illegality of the council's action. The basis for the lawsuit was the failure of the city council to implement the targeted household waste management program approved in 2019.

Андрій Колісніченко