A covered site for fallen leaves in Mykolaiv is not being reclaimed due to a lack of funds, and the waste is now being taken to a landfill site

Following the closure of the site in Mykolaiv, fallen leaves and branches began to be taken to the municipal solid waste landfill. Archive photo NikVesti

Following the closure of the fallen leaves storage site in Mykolaiv, all bio-waste began to be taken to the municipal solid waste landfill in the village of Vesniane.

This is stated in a response from the Department of Housing and Communal Services of Mykolaiv City Council to an information request from NikVesti.

The fallen leaf storage site was located in a clay quarry near the municipal cemetery close to the village of Mishkovo-Pohorilove in the Inhulskyi district. It was closed on 1 January 2025, and since then no work has been carried out on the site, nor has any targeted funding been allocated from the city budget.

The department reported that all leaves and branches are now being taken to the city’s solid household waste landfill in the village of Vesniane.

«All household waste from the territory of the Mykolaiv City Territorial Community, including fallen leaves, branches and other bio-waste, is taken to the municipal landfill located at: the village of Vesniane, 16 Nova Street,» the Department of Housing and Communal Services noted.

However, as of July 2026, the reclamation of the closed site had still not begun. Measures to close the site, including the embankment of the site, planting of greenery, installation of fencing and the development of a reclamation project, are included in the city’s Programme for the Reform and Development of Housing and Communal Services for 2025–2029. However, no funding for this work has been allocated in the Mykolaiv local authority’s budget for 2026.

Furthermore, the department reported that the State Environmental Inspectorate of the South-Western District and other regulatory bodies had not carried out any inspections or assessments of the condition of the decommissioned site.

Screenshot of the Housing and Utilities Department’s response

Screenshot of the response from the Housing and Communal Services Department

It should be noted that various cities across Ukraine already utilise fallen leaves. For example, in Lviv, leaves are used to produce biogas, which is then utilised as an environmentally friendly form of energy. In May 2022, a biogas power station was commissioned at the Hrybovychi landfill site, which extracts gas and converts it into electricity.

A biogas power station has been launched at the Hrybovychi landfill site. Photo: Lviv Regional State Administration

A biogas power station has been launched at the Hrybovychi landfill site. Photo: Lviv Regional State Administration

Meanwhile, in Kyiv, since 2021, fallen leaves have been being turned into biohumus with the help of special worms. The leaf processing takes place in several stages: storage, treatment with a solution and fermentation, followed by conversion into humus.

In the Kyiv region, they have started processing leaves using red worms. Photo: Kyiv City State Administration

In the Kyiv region, they have started recycling leaves using red worms. Photo: Kyiv City State Administration

Meanwhile, in Poltava and Rivne, fallen leaves are used in cemeteries. They are used to insulate the ground in cemeteries so that it is easier to dig a grave in winter when the ground freezes.

We would like to remind you that it is not permitted to burn leaves. Read about the main consequences of burning leaves and environmentally safe alternatives in the NikVesti article «Why you shouldn’t burn leaves and how it harms your health: an explanation».