Ukraine and Romania's shared garbage problems and solutions

Romania and Ukraine share the same mountains - the Carpathians. And regardless of the country, the mountains share the same problem: the waste generated by human activity. From improper disposal to difficulties in collection and barriers to recycling, the mountainous regions of Ukraine and Romania suffer from the same problems as the rest of the country, but with the added complication of inaccessible terrain and a lack of suitable landfill sites for the regions.

This investigation looks at three sites in Ukraine and Romania to tell the story of waste in the Carpathians: Rakhiv in Ukraine, where illegal dumping is affecting the nearby Tzisa River; Pasul Mestecăniș in Romania, where the construction of a landfill in a tourist area has created a rift between citizens and the local administration; and Târgu Lăpuș, a Romanian city that collects and recycles around 50% of its waste, far more than the Romanian national rate of around 12%.

Looking at both the problems and the solutions, this report seeks to understand what can be done to make communities and mountains greener and safer, whatever the country.

Photographer: Andrei Becheru