Garbage turns into a resource: how Khmelnytskyi reconstructed an old landfill into a modern ecological facility

Thanks to an integrated approach, the city of Khmelnytskyi has not only stopped polluting its water bodies, but also learned to get energy directly from waste. We examined what technologies helped Khmelnytskyi become a pioneer in ecological and economic innovations, as well as how this experience can be useful for other settlements facing similar problems.

Converting landfill gas into electricity

The Khmelnytskyi solid waste landfill has been operating since 1956. However, in recent years, significant changes have occurred here. Instead of simply accumulating garbage, the city has begun to actively use its potential.

Currently, a biogas collection and processing system is operating at the landfill. Special equipment extracts the gas formed as a result of the decomposition of waste and converts it into electricity. This not only reduces the risk of fires, but also adds energy to the local power grid.

Modern treatment technologies and compliance with European standards

One of the main achievements was solving the problem of leachate – a liquid that forms in landfills and threatens groundwater. In Khmelnytskyi, this problem was approached from all sides: with the support of international financial institutions, such as the EBRD, modern treatment facilities were built.

Environmentalists note that this system reliably protects the Southern Bug River from pollution. Treatment is now carried out at a level that meets the latest European practices.

Smart Environment Strategy: Plans for the Future

Khmelnytskyi’s success is not a coincidence, but a consequence of the implementation of the Smart Environment. Khmelnytskyi project. The city is implementing a phased strategy that includes:

Analysis: specialists study the composition of waste for better recycling.
Reclamation: old areas of the landfill are being closed and reorganized.
Financing: attracting grants and loans to create new composting and recycling facilities.
Importance for Ukraine

The Head of the State Environmental Inspectorate of the Polissya District, Yevheniy Medvedovsky, emphasized that this approach can become an example for many communities facing similar difficulties.

“The experience of Khmelnytskyi demonstrates that even old facilities can be restored if there is a systematic approach and investment attraction,” Medvedovsky noted. “This is a real indicator of how timely management decisions at the local level can reduce the negative impact on the environment.”

The Khmelnytskyi case demonstrates that environmental problems can be solved by moving from short-term solutions to a long-term development strategy. Now this experience can serve as the basis for the modernization of landfills throughout Ukraine.