Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan has proposed introducing a mandatory deposit-return system for plastic and glass bottles and aluminium beverage cans.
The initiative is linked to a revised draft law “On Waste”. Iskandar Kutbiddinov, deputy chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, announced the proposal at a meeting of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis on 20 October.
Kutbiddinov said the current system did not provide sufficient economic incentives for the separate collection of packaging.
“The voluntary system has not been implemented in practice, while the recycling rate for this type of waste remains low, at just 6.2%,” he said. According to Kutbiddinov, manufacturers and retailers should be given a phased transition period to establish the necessary infrastructure.
Under a deposit-return system, a refundable deposit is included in the product price. Consumers receive the money back when they return empty containers to collection points.
In several European countries, bottles can be returned through reverse vending machines in or near shops, with the collected packaging subsequently sent for recycling.
The committee expects the system to encourage separate waste collection, increase the supply of recyclable materials and reduce environmental pollution.
The meeting did not specify the proposed deposit amount, who would operate the system, where containers could be returned or when the new rules might take effect. It also remained 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 Waste Management and Circular Economy Development Agency, together with Norwegian company TOMRA, launched a pilot project to collect containers through reverse vending machines. The first machines began operating in Tashkent and Surkhandarya Region on 23 September.
Consumers receive 150 soums for each returned bottle or can. The money can be transferred to an electronic wallet through Click or donated to charity. Unlike a deposit-return system, the current scheme rewards consumers without requiring them to pay a deposit when purchasing a drink.
The revised law also expands the responsibility of manufacturers and importers for waste generated by certain types of products and packaging.
In specified cases, a recycling fee would be imposed. Kutbiddinov said the measure should reduce waste generation, encourage recycling and require manufacturers and importers to contribute towards waste management costs.
According to the committee, Uzbekistan generated 15.1 million tonnes of household waste in 2025, but only 5.2% was sorted. The country does not yet have an integrated system linking separate waste collection with the transfer of materials to recycling facilities.
The draft law consists of nine chapters and 60 articles. In addition to packaging recycling, it establishes waste classifications based on hazard levels and clarifies the responsibilities of government bodies and operators. The document also introduces new requirements for landfills and waste transfer stations and changes the sector’s financing arrangements.
The return of containers using a deposit system was previously included in a list of prospective innovative projects under a presidential resolution dated 31 May 2023.
In January 2025, the Ministry of Ecology proposed requiring soft drink manufacturers to recycle 50% of their plastic packaging by 2026, 75% by 2027 and 100% by 2028. The meeting did not clarify whether these targets had been included in the new draft law.
The Legislative Chamber approved the bill in its first reading on 20 October. The draft must pass further legislative procedures before the new rules can enter into force.