Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine

What Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine does

Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine (ZWAU, Громадська спілка «Український Альянс Нуль Відходів») is a non-governmental public union founded in February 2019 in Lviv, Ukraine, operating as a coalition of eight member organizations spanning Lviv, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mariupol, Lutsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Its mission is to shift Ukrainian waste policy discourse from recycling to waste prevention and reuse, advocating with national and municipal authorities and representing Ukraine in two international networks: Zero Waste Europe (since 2019) and Break Free From Plastic. The alliance operates the Zero Waste Cities certification programme in Ukraine, with Lviv becoming the first non-EU Zero Waste City candidate in September 2020 and Lyubotyn following in February 2021.

ZWAU's core products include the interactive 'Zero Waste City' (Місто нуль відходів) web tool launched in July 2023 at city.zerowaste.org.ua, which visualizes Ukrainian municipal waste infrastructure, filtering by city, and provides international best-practice guidance; the Zero Waste in HORECA project (July–December 2022) supported by the Europe Climate Foundation, which piloted zero-waste methodology at hospitality businesses including Premier Hotel Dnister, Sino Experimental and Taco Taco; the We Choose Reuse social campaign; and integration with the Mission Zero Academy educational platform. Supporting technical channels include the zerowaste.org.ua website and active Facebook and Instagram presences operated both centrally and by member organizations. The tool stack is web-based content and visualization rather than AI/ML-driven.

ZWAU does not operate a commercial pricing model. Revenue mechanics consist of individual donations (LiqPay-driven 100 UAH, 200 UAH, or arbitrary amounts), membership dues from member NGOs, and project grants from international partners such as the Europe Climate Foundation. The organization publicly states a baseline monthly operating need of at least 50,000 UAH to cover management, analytical support, communications, translations, design, and website operations. Go-to-market motion is community-led (NGO coalition advocacy) and event-driven (webinars, training, educational materials), targeting Ukrainian municipalities as the primary customer segment, with secondary engagement of HORECA businesses, NGOs, and the general public.

Name

Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine

Legal name

Громадська спілка "Український Альянс Нуль Відходів"

Website

https://zerowaste.org.ua

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine is a non-governmental public union of eight Ukrainian NGOs that advocates for waste prevention policy reform, runs the Zero Waste Cities certification programme in Ukraine as the official representative of Zero Waste Europe, and operates the interactive Zero Waste City web tool for municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Advocacy and Waste Management Coalition Services

NAICS

Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services (56), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Pollution Prevention & Toxics Reduction (BPAGAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Circular Economy & Waste/Materials Reporting (Zero waste, packaging) (EUAHAJAL), Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH)

Keywords

• Waste management advocacy
• Zero waste certification
• Circular economy consulting
• Municipal recycling programs
• Environmental coalition services

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership Support: The organization receives financial support through one-time and regular donations from individuals. Monthly operational needs are stated at minimum 50,000 UAH for basic functions including management, analytical support, communications, translations, design, and website operations.
2. Project Grants: Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine receives funding for specific projects from international partners. Projects include Zero Waste in HORECA (with Europe Climate Foundation support), Zero Waste Cities programme implementation, and sustainability initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine is a coalition of NGOs and activists that advocates for and supports waste management reform in Ukraine, primarily through the Zero Waste Cities programme aligned with EU standards. It operates an interactive web tool ('Zero Waste City') that visualizes modern waste management infrastructure for Ukrainian municipalities, and delivers educational resources, training, certification support, and advocacy campaigns to cities, businesses (notably HORECA), and communities. Its purpose is to shift national practice from recycling discourse to waste prevention, reuse, and composting.

Product overview

Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine is a coalition of Ukrainian organizations and activists focused on waste management reform. The core product is the 'Zero Waste City' interactive web tool (city.zerowaste.org.ua), an online platform helping municipalities and citizens understand zero waste city requirements and certification processes. Supporting initiatives include the Zero Waste Cities programme aligned with EU standards, the 'We Choose Reuse' campaign promoting reuse systems, the HORECA zero waste project for hospitality businesses, and educational resources through Mission Zero Academy. The alliance also provides member support services including grants, training, and collaboration opportunities for its eight member organizations across Ukraine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zero Waste Cities: A program of Zero Waste Europe aimed at helping cities and communities move towards zero waste, managed jointly by Zero Waste Europe and member organizations including ZWAU.
• Місто Нуль відходів (Zero Waste City Tool)

Products and services

• Zero Waste City Interactive Tool (Місто нуль відходів) Interactive online tool featuring a visual model of a city with waste management infrastructure, international best practices, and practical guidance for communities and municipalities implementing zero waste strategies.
• Zero Waste Cities Programme Support

Quantifiable outcome

• Lviv became first city outside EU to achieve Zero Waste Candidate status (September 2020)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Zero Waste EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine became the official representative of Zero Waste Europe in Ukraine in 2019. Zero Waste Europe includes 31 other local and national civil society organizations from across Europe. The partnership involves joint management of the Zero Waste Cities programme and access to European knowledge platforms.
• Zero Waste Cities Programme (28 members in 24 European countries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Zero Waste Cities programme is jointly managed by Zero Waste Europe and its member organizations including ZWAU. It brings together 28 members in 24 countries and connects nearly 400 municipalities through a mentoring and conscious waste management programme.
• Društvo Ekologi brez meja (Slovenia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlovenian environmental organization collaborated on the 'Zero Waste in HORECA' project (July-December 2022), providing practical cases from Slovenia as examples for future Ukrainian zero waste establishments.
• Mission Zero Academy (MiZA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission Zero Academy is a community connecting small and medium business leaders, local decision-makers, and professionals seeking to implement effective zero waste strategies. MiZA provides training, mentorship, and certification tools for municipalities and businesses.
• Break Free From Plastic MovementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal movement formed in September 2016 with over 1,900 NGOs and individuals working towards a future free from plastic pollution. ZWAU shares common values of environmental protection and social justice and works to implement holistic approaches to plastic pollution reduction.
• Žmergo Association (Croatia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCroatian environmental organization led by Ana Golja, who presented practical cases from Slovenia and Croatia during the Zero Waste in HORECA project final webinar.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Zero Waste Europe: The Brussels-headquartered network of 31 civil-society organizations that ZWAU represents in Ukraine; directly comparable as the umbrella body running the Zero Waste Cities programme across 24 European countries.
• Break Free From Plastic: Global movement of 1,900+ NGOs working on plastic-pollution reduction that ZWAU participates in; comparable as a global advocacy peer in shared anti-single-use-plastic campaigns.
• NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland): Germany's largest environmental association with broad waste, recycling and circular-economy programmes; comparable as a much larger European NGO peer shaping zero-waste policy and city-level standards.

Direct peers

• Ecoaction: Leading Ukrainian environmental NGO active in climate, energy and waste policy advocacy; comparable as a domestic peer operating in the same advocacy-and-grant-driven funding model across overlapping municipal and EU-alignment issues.
• Environment. People. Law: Ukrainian environmental law NGO focused on legislative advocacy, EU environmental acquis alignment and public participation; overlaps directly with ZWAU's legislative and EU-standardization work.
• Mission Zero Academy (MiZA): International training and mentorship community for SMBs, municipalities and decision-makers implementing zero-waste strategies; comparable as ZWAU's strategic partner offering adjacent capacity-building services.
• Let's Do It Foundation: International civic movement with a strong Ukrainian footprint organizing waste clean-ups and awareness campaigns; similar mission, volunteer-led model and Eastern European operational base.

Regional players

• WWF-Ukraine: Ukrainian arm of global conservation NGO; operates in adjacent environmental advocacy space with comparable donor-funded grant model and municipal engagement in Ukraine.

Emerging players

• Plastic Pollution Coalition: Global coalition working on plastic-pollution solutions including reuse systems; thematically aligned with ZWAU's 'We Choose Reuse' campaign and circular-economy advocacy.

Others

• Resource Recovery Coalition Ukraine / Recycling Solutions: Ukrainian recycling and waste-management knowledge hub; adjacent peer providing complementary operator-focused content while ZWAU focuses on advocacy and prevention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kharkivzerowaste
• Instagraminstagram.com/zero.waste.lutsk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine