Almost four years after the start of the Russian invasion, colossal Ukraine: what to do with the remains of war. The bombings have generated more than 1.5 billion tons of debrisaccording to international estimates. Mountains of concrete, brick, twisted metal and glass pile up in destroyed towns and cities.
But in the midst of this devastated landscape, some communities have found an unexpected solution: reuse everything.
In the summer of 2024, in Russian Lozovaa village located less than 30 kilometers from the Russian border, began an experiment that is now being studied as a model. Over there, Zero Waste Kharkiv launched a pilot project to dismantle the remains of the bombed-out old town hall and convert them into reusable construction material.
Rebuild with what the war leaves behind
The initiative arose from Anna Prokayevaexecutive director of the organization and former television journalist. The dilemma was evident: while landfills overflowed with debris, the residents of Ruska Lozova lacked basic materials to rebuild their homes.
For a month, a child—mostly over 50—worked five days a week with hand tools. The result was tangible: 13,000 bricks recovereddistributed among the town’s families, in addition to wood, metal, tiles and remains of insulation. The crushed concrete was used to fill bomb craters and repair local roads.
At the end of 2024, the site where the town hall previously stood was completely cleared. Today, in that same place, there is a new municipal building.
The biggest waste challenge in Europe since World War II
The magnitude of the problem goes far beyond one village. The United Nations considers the volume of debris in Ukraine to be the largest recorded in Europe since the destruction of Germany during World War II.
The United Nations Development Program currently leads the largest war waste management operation in the country. So far, it has withdrawn almost 800,000 tons of debrisalthough only a small portion has been processed for reuse, primarily as road gravel.
“The road works have absorbed all the recycled material we have produced”explains Oleksii Pechenyi, head of UNDP in Ukraine. “But we need this waste to be used in the real reconstruction of the country.”
International technology to recycle under the pumps
Several countries have entered the game. Japan is training Ukrainian technicians to operate state-of-the-art mobile crushers and sorters, capable of processing up to 300 tons of debris per hour. These machines use artificial intelligence and infrared to separate metals, plastics and hazardous materials.
In parallel, an Australian company has installed a mobile plant near kyiv that converts gravel, glass and recycled plastic into bricks that can be assembled without mortar, suitable for homes and sidewalks. Japan is also testing AI-powered cleaning robots, designed to operate in areas at risk of mines or unexploded ordnance.
The legal obstacle of recycled concrete
Despite technical advances, Ukrainian legislation remains a brake. The use of recycled concrete in new constructions is prohibited, as it is considered less dense and stable than that made with virgin aggregates.
The British engineer Leon Blacka materials specialist at the University of Leeds, is working with Ukrainian authorities to introduce technologies that separate concrete into gravel, sand and reusable cement. The objective is to change the regulations without compromising structural safety.
Until that happens, thousands of tons of recycled material remain in storage, awaiting legal authorization.
Circular economy on the front line
In Ruska Lozova, drones continue to buzz over residents’ heads and aerial alerts sound daily. Still, the work continues. Zero Waste Kharkiv advocates a radical approach: send nothing to landfills or incinerators.
“In times of war, reusing everything is not an ideological option, it is a necessity”explains Prokayeva. The organization has already set its next goal for 2026: a building much larger than the old town hall.
When the war ends, Ukraine will have to rebuild much of its real estate stock. And according to Prokayeva, the future lies there: “Zero waste and the circular economy can change the way we rebuild the country.”
