Bocholt and Verkhniodniprovsk intensify cooperation in waste management

How municipal services can be reliably organised even under difficult conditions was the focus of a German-Ukrainian expert exchange at the Bocholt waste disposal and service company (ESB) from 22 to 26 March 2026. A four-person delegation from the Ukrainian solidarity partner city of Verkhniodniprovsk came to Bocholt to find out about structures, processes and practical solutions in municipal waste management. The exchange builds on the close solidarity partnership between the two cities and should help to further strengthen the municipal ability to act in Verkhniodniprovsk.

Municipal tasks despite major burdens
The Ukrainian delegation was led by Mayor Gennadii Lebid. Representatives from the areas of municipal services, infrastructure and strategic planning travelled with him to Bocholt. Verkhniodniprovsk continues to face considerable challenges in maintaining key municipal services as a result of the ongoing war. In the area of waste management in particular, there is a great need for practical knowledge in order to organise collection, separation and recycling structures reliably and in line with EU standards in the future. "We are very grateful to the city of Bocholt for its open and cooperative support. This exchange is of great value to us because we learn about concrete solutions that can help us to improve and maintain municipal services in difficult times", says Mayor Gennadii Lebid.

Bocholt was able to provide valuable insights thanks to the ESB's many years of experience. The programme included an introduction to the ESB's operational structure, tours of various sites and information on operational waste collection, wastewater treatment and disposal routes. The recycling centre and regional waste disposal structures were also presented. The programme was supplemented by a visit to Entsorgungsgesellschaft Westmünsterland mbH (EGW) in Gescher. This gave the delegation a comprehensive impression of how municipal and regional players in Germany work together on collection, recycling and disposal.

Practical exchange in everyday working life
In addition to presentations and technical discussions, a practical perspective played a particularly important role. The guests accompanied processes relating to waste collection, waste transport and street cleaning and were also given an insight into emergency vehicles and workshops. "It was important to us not only to explain structures, but also to show in concrete terms how municipal waste management works in everyday life. It is precisely this practical exchange that makes the visit so valuable", says Christoph Telaar, organiser of the professional exchange at ESB Bocholt.

The visit makes it clear that the solidarity partnership between Bocholt and Verkhniodniprovsk goes far beyond symbolic gestures. In recent years, Bocholt has already supported the Ukrainian twin city several times with aid supplies, vehicles and professional exchanges. The current visit to the ESB builds on this and combines concrete help with sustainable knowledge transfer. This will further deepen the cooperation between the two cities - and help to strengthen municipal services of general interest in Verkhniodniprovsk under difficult conditions. This exchange of expertise is supported by Engagement Global's Service Agency Communities in One World (SKEW) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).