The characterization of municipal solid waste in a Ukrainian region during the war period: Reference values and a methodological review

Ukraine’s sustainable post-war transition toward resilient, resource-oriented waste management (WM) systems relies mainly on accurate data on municipal solid waste (MSW) generation and composition. This paper reviews methodologies and reference values for MSW composition in the Poltava region during the war period (2023–2024), combining (1) a systematic analysis of pre-war and wartime data from several Ukrainian regions and (2) four seasonal sorting analyses conducted in the Kotelva settlement, complemented by a simplified socio-demographic stratification approach using Austrian MSW data as analogies. The four seasonal sorting analyses applied two successive Ukrainian methodological frameworks, the latter supplemented by the Austrian and European waste classification approach. Existing Ukrainian data from different regions show wide ranges for key waste fractions, reflecting strong methodological heterogeneity—from purely normative, regulation-based estimates to seasonally stratified field campaigns. Wartime MSW in Kotelva was dominated by kitchen waste (mean 37.4 wt%), along with organic (other than food) waste (6.0 wt%), followed by inert construction waste (7.6 wt%), hygiene products (7.3 wt%), and textiles (5.9 wt%). Compared with 2020 pre-war data, a shift from glass to plastic packaging in the residual waste was observed. The study demonstrates that the current Ukrainian methodology only partially aligns with European practice, underscoring the need for a harmonized national framework. Moreover, a simplified comparative approach based on socio-demographic stratification was developed to pre-assess the MSW composition of Ukrainian settlements lacking basic WM data. The proposed approach may serve as offer a pragmatic interim tool for WM planning in data-poor Ukrainian regions to promptly support post-war circular-economy-oriented decision-making.