Uzbekistan has put forward a proposal to implement a mandatory return system with a deposit for glass and plastic bottles, as well as for aluminum beverage cans.
This initiative is linked to the revised draft law 'On Waste'. Iskandar Kutbiddinov, Deputy Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, presented this proposal at a session of the Oliy Majlis Legislative Chamber on October 20.
Kutbiddinov noted that the existing system does not provide sufficient economic incentives for separate packaging collection. He emphasized that the voluntary system has not been implemented in practice, and the recycling rate for such waste remains low—only 6.2%.
According to Kutbiddinov, manufacturers and retailers should be given a phased transition period to establish the necessary infrastructure.
Under the deposit system, the returnable deposit is included in the product price, and consumers receive money back when returning empty containers to collection points. In several European countries, bottles can be returned via recycling collection machines in or near stores, after which the collected packaging is sent for recycling.
The committee expects that this system will stimulate separate waste collection, increase the inflow of recyclable materials, and reduce environmental pollution.
The session did not specify the proposed deposit amount, who will manage the system, where containers can be dropped off, or when the new rules will come into effect. It was also unclear how the mandatory deposit return system is reflected in the draft law.
A similar mechanism is already being tested in Uzbekistan. In September, the Agency for Waste Management and Circular Economy, together with the Norwegian company TOMRA, launched a pilot project for container collection through recycling collection machines. The first machines began operating in Tashkent and Surkhandarya region on September 23.
Consumers receive 150 soms for each bottle or can returned. These funds can be transferred to an electronic wallet via Click or donated to charity. Unlike the deposit system, the current scheme rewards consumers without requiring them to pay a deposit when purchasing the beverage.
The revised law also expands the responsibility of producers and importers for waste generated from certain types of products and packaging. A fee for recycling will be charged in certain cases. Kutbiddinov stated that this measure should reduce waste generation, encourage recycling, and oblige producers and importers to participate in waste management costs.
According to the committee, in 2025, Uzbekistan produced 15.1 million tons of household waste, but only 5.2% of it was sorted. The country still lacks an integrated system linking separate waste collection with the transfer of materials to recycling enterprises.
The draft law consists of nine chapters and 60 articles. In addition to packaging recycling, it establishes waste classification based on hazard levels and clarifies the duties of state bodies and operators. The document also introduces new requirements for landfills and waste processing stations, as well as changing sector financing mechanisms.
Returning containers using a deposit system was previously included in the list of promising innovative projects in the presidential decree of May 31, 2023.
In January 2025, the Ministry of Ecology proposed obligating non-alcoholic beverage producers to recycle 50% of their plastic packaging by 2026, 75% by 2027, and 100% by 2028. The session did not clarify whether these targets are included in the new draft law.
The Legislative Chamber approved the bill in the first reading on October 20. For the new rules to take effect, the draft must undergo further legislative procedures.
