Organization and Economic Principles for Collection, Storage and Utilization of Solid Household Wastes and Garbage: Macroregional Analysis

Abstract

Processes of collection, processing, removal, storage and utilization of solid household wastes and garbage are analyzed. Problems associated with their organization were aggravating in Ukraine during the transition to the market-based economic model radically changing the waste treatment mechanisms operated in the period of administrative and command system. It is demonstrated that Ukraine still has no well-functioning management system enabling for the civilized treatment of household wastes, including their recycling and utilization. The process of household wastes and garbage removal is disorganized and erratic. The chaotic way of collecting household wastes and garbage, used in many countries as a resource supportive to the economic development, needs to be firmly rejected.
 The global practices show that the problems of utilization and reuse of household wastes and garbage can be dealt with through intensive innovating and intellectualization. The effectiveness of solutions to the above problems is also conditional on two key actors: local self-governance bodies and citizens concerned with the matter. Assurance of social and environmental benefits is their necessary component.
 By the current organization and economic principles, enterprises active in processing, utilization and storage of household wastes and garbage are assigned the key role in treatment of household wastes. The advanced organization and economic principles for collection, storage and utilization of household wastes and garbage in Ukraine can be introduced once the nation-wide conceptual model for the development of this economic activity is elaborated. It needs to rely upon the Keynesian model that accounts for not only the interests of capital, but conforms, in many ways, to the human values concerned with environmental protection. The mechanism for collection, removal, storage, utilization and processing of solid household wastes and garbage needs to be organized as a full-fledged component of the social reproduction process. The key problem which solution will help adopt the new organization and economic principles for utilization and disposal of wastes is to create the conditions for constructing waste recycling fact ories, including the system of preferences. As shown by practices of many developed countries, they ensure effective processing and recycling of household wastes and garbage and reduce the land areas required for wastes and garbage placement.