A mandatory deposit system for plastic and glass bottles may be introduced

Mandatory deposit system for plastic and glass bottles may be introduced

Under the new procedure, buyers will be able to return beverage containers for recycling and get back the deposit money paid for them

In Uzbekistan, it has been proposed to introduce a mandatory deposit system for plastic and glass bottles, as well as aluminum cans. Iskandar Kutbiddinov, Deputy Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, announced this at a meeting of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, Spot reports.

This initiative was put forward within the framework of adopting the new version of the Law "On Waste".

According to the proposed procedure, when purchasing a beverage, the consumer also pays a set deposit amount for the container. After handing over the empty container to a special collection point, they get this money back.

According to Kutbiddinov, the recycling rate for such waste currently stands at a mere 6.2 percent. The new system is aimed at encouraging the population to sort waste and reducing environmental pollution.

According to data, 15.1 million tons of household waste were generated in the country in 2025. Meanwhile, the sorting rate did not exceed 5.2 percent.

As a reminder, in September, a pilot project on special reverse vending machines (fandomats) for accepting beverage containers was launched in Uzbekistan. According to it, citizens can hand in plastic, glass, and aluminum containers and receive 150 soums for each.

This project is being implemented in cooperation with the Waste Management Agency and Norway's TOMRA company.

A final decision on the introduction of the mandatory deposit system has not yet been made. If the proposal is approved, a transition period is expected to be provided for manufacturers and trade organizations to create the necessary infrastructure.