IMPROVEMENT OF THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN THE KHMELNYTSKYI REGION AS A FACTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE EXPERIENCE OF NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA (GERMANY)

Abstract

The article examines the current state of the solid waste management system in the Khmelnytskyi region and provides a comparative analysis with practices in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany. It has been determined that the dominance of waste disposal, low recycling rates, fragmented infrastructure, and limited funding create complex environmental and technogenic risks, necessitating systematic modernization. Based on statistical data and regional reports, key problems have been identified: landfill overload, lack of effective degassing and composting, low coverage of the population by separate collection practices, tariff imbalances, and a weak social component of environmental culture. European experience, in particular the waste management model in NRW, has demonstrated the effectiveness of combining institutional instruments (Federal Framework “Gesetz zur Förderung der Kreislaufwirtschaft und Sicherung der umweltverträglichen Bewirtschaftung von Abfällen”, KrWG; extended producer responsibility, EPR; deposit system, Pfandsystem), techno-ecological infrastructure (mechanical-biological treatment, biogas plants, RDF, composting) and transparent monitoring (LANUV). This ensures a high level of recycling (>65%) and minimizes landfilling (<5%). The article presents a SWOT analysis of the regional solid waste management system in the Khmelnytskyi region, which revealed both institutional prerequisites for development (strategic documents, active communities) and significant barriers (worn-out infrastructure, insufficient regulatory framework, financial constraints). Based on the analysis, practical recommendations are proposed for adapting the NRW experience to regional conditions: clustering of communities, introduction of EPR and Pfandsystem, creation of a network of MBO and composting complexes, expansion of the separate collection system, improvement of tariff policy, and digitization of management processes. Particular attention is paid to the integration of institutional, technological, and economic instruments, which makes it possible to increase the level of environmental and technogenic safety, reduce risks to the environment and the population, and create conditions for the development of a circular economy in the region.