CIRCULAR ECONOMY OF UKRAINE’S TRANSPORT SECTOR: STRATEGIES AND MECHANISMS
Abstract
The study leads to the conclusion that the
circularization of Ukraine’s transport sector is a necessary component of its structural
modernization, resource-efficient development, and European integration. It is demonstrated that
the transition to a circular model entail maximizing the preservation of the economic and resource
value of materials throughout the entire product life cycle. It is established that the strategic
directions for the circular transformation of the transport sector include enhancing resource
efficiency, extending the lifecycle of vehicles, developing circular infrastructure management,
decarbonization, advancing low-carbon transport, implementing circular logistics, recycling
transport-related waste, and digitalization. It is determined that a key prerequisite for circular
transformation is extending the service life of vehicles and their components through maintenance,
repair, modernization, and refurbishment.
It has been determined that the mechanism for the circular transformation of the transport
complex is multifaceted in nature, comprising regulatory-legal, economic, investment,
technological, and organizational mechanisms, as well as waste management and decarbonization
mechanisms. The circular model takes on particular significance in the context of Ukraine's postwar recovery. The large-scale renewal of vehicles, roads, railway, port, and other transport
infrastructure offer an opportunity to embed the principles of resource efficiency, material reuse,
energy efficiency, and low-carbon development from the outset. It is demonstrated that the
transition of the transport sector to a circular model yields simultaneous economic, environmental,
and social benefits. A circular model for the economic modernization of the transport system is
proposed. Strategic prospects for the circularization of the transport sector have been identified,
based on Ukraine’s transition from a resource-intensive linear transport system to an integrated,
digital, low-carbon, and resource-efficient model—one in which waste is viewed as a potential
secondary resource, and repair, reuse, refurbishment, and recycling become integral elements of
the economic cycle.
Keywords: circular economy, transport sector, strategies, mechanisms.
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