Ukrainian brand Upcycling Freaks, founded by Mariya Eimanavicius, turns parts of old plastic toys, like Barbie shoes and LEGO bricks, into jewelry. Eimanavicius claims she runs an eco-friendly business, aiming to reduce waste and protect the environment.
Ukraine produces nearly 474 million tons of waste every year and almost all of it ends up in landfills — 9,000 hectares of land covered with garbage that pollutes soil and groundwater. In 2019, Ukraine recycled only 4.1% of trash, while the rest was buried in the ground, said Oleksandr Vozny, the chief executive of Ukraine’s Waste Management Center.
Although Ukraine has enough facilities to utilize waste — nearly 80 local enterprises recycle paper, plastic and glass — the country imports recyclables from abroad to fill these factories because Ukrainians do not sort the garbage properly, according to environmental expert Kseniia Renchkovskaya.
