A proposal has been put forward in Uzbekistan to introduce a mandatory deposit system for plastic and glass bottles, as well as for beverage aluminum cans. Iskandar Kutbiddinov, Deputy Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, announced this initiative on October 20 at a meeting of the Oliy Majlis Legislative Chamber while presenting an updated version of the 'Waste' law.
According to Kutbiddinov, the current system does not create sufficient economic incentives for the population to engage in separate collection of packaging materials. He emphasized that the voluntary approach has not gained widespread adoption, and the recycling rate for such waste remains extremely low—only 6.2%.
How the deposit system will function
The essence of the deposit system is that the product cost includes a deposit for the packaging. The buyer has the option to reclaim this deposit after returning the empty container to a designated collection point. An example from European countries is cited, where plastic and glass bottles can be returned via automatic machines in stores or nearby, allowing the consumer to receive the deposited amount back. The collected containers are then sent for recycling.
Kutbiddinov noted that such a system will help activate separate waste collection, increase the supply of raw materials for recycling, and reduce environmental pollution. He also stressed the need to provide producers and trade organizations with a phased transition period to establish the necessary infrastructure.
The meeting did not specify the exact size of the deposit, who will operate the system, where the containers can be returned, or when the new regulations will come into force. It is also unclear in what form the mandatory deposit system is enshrined in the bill, which was approved by deputies in the first reading.
Practice of paying for bottle returns already exists in Uzbekistan
In September, the Agency for Waste Management and Circular Economy, in collaboration with the Norwegian company TOMRA, launched a pilot project for accepting used packaging through special automated machines—фанdomats. The first devices began operating on September 23 in Tashkent and Surkhandarya region. In the capital, one such fandomat is installed in front of the National Committee on Ecology building at Bunyodkor Street, 7A, in the Chilonzor district.
These machines accept aluminum cans, plastic, and glass bottles. A reward of 150 soms is provided for each unit of packaging, which can be withdrawn to an electronic wallet via the Click payment system or donated to charity. If this pilot project proves effective, it is planned to gradually place fandomats in areas with high concentrations of people in both Tashkent and other regions.
Nevertheless, the existing mechanism differs from the proposed deposit system in that currently citizens receive a reward for returned packaging without paying a deposit when purchasing the beverage. The size of the proposed deposit has not yet been announced.
What else does the new 'Waste' law include
Previously, the mechanism of returning used packaging using deposits was listed among promising innovative projects approved by a presidential decree dated May 31, 2023. In January 2025, the then Ministry of Ecology also proposed gradually expanding the responsibility of producers and importers of plastic products for the collection, sorting, and recycling of waste.
Specifically, the department insisted that producers of non-alcoholic beverages should commit to recycling 50% of the plastic packaging used by 2026, 75% by 2027, and 100% by 2028. Although these targets and deadlines were proposed by the ministry, it was not clarified at the October 20 meeting whether they are reflected in the new version of the bill.
The document presented to the deputies provides for expanding the responsibility of producers and importers for waste generated from certain types of goods and packaging. In some cases, it also proposes introducing a disposal fee. Kutbiddinov explained that this measure is aimed at reducing waste volume, stimulating recycling, and ensuring the participation of producers and importers in covering waste management costs.
According to data provided by the agency representative, 15.1 million tons of household waste were generated in Uzbekistan in 2025, with only 5.2% being sorted. The agency representative also pointed out that a unified system linking separate waste collection at the point of generation with the transfer of this waste to recycling enterprises has not yet been established in the country.
The new edition of the 'Waste' law consists of sixty articles and nine chapters. In addition to regulating packaging recycling, it includes waste classification by hazard level, clarification of the duties of state bodies and operators, new requirements for waste transfer stations and landfills, as well as changes in the financing of this industry. On October 20, the Legislative Chamber approved the bill in the first reading, and for the new rules to come into effect, the document must undergo further legislative procedures.
