Uzbekistan proposes introducing a mandatory deposit for bottles and cans

Proposal for a deposit system

In Uzbekistan, a mandatory deposit system has been proposed for plastic and glass bottles as well as aluminum beverage cans. This was announced on October 20 at a session of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis by the Deputy Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, Iskandar Kutbiddinov, while presenting a draft new version of the law “On Waste,” Gazeta reports. According to him, the current system does not provide sufficient economic incentives for separate collection of packaging: the voluntary procedure has not been implemented in practice, and the recycling rate for such waste is only 6.2%.

How the system should work

The deposit system implies that a packaging deposit is included in the price of the product, which the buyer can get back by returning the empty container to a special collection point. In some European countries, bottles are returned via machines in or near stores, and the collected packaging is sent for recycling. Kutbiddinov noted that such a mechanism would stimulate separate waste collection, increase the volume of raw materials for recycling, and reduce environmental pollution. He also emphasized that manufacturers and trade organizations need a gradual transition period to create the appropriate infrastructure.

What remains unclear

The session did not specify the deposit amount, the system operator, the locations for accepting containers, or the timeline for the new rules to take effect. In addition, it remains unclear in what form the mandatory deposit system is enshrined in the draft law, which was approved by deputies in the first reading on October 20. To take effect, the document must go through further legislative procedures.

Pilot project with reverse vending machines

In September, the Waste Management Agency and Circular Economy Development Agency, together with the Norwegian company TOMRA, launched a pilot project for accepting used containers through reverse vending machines. The first machines started operating on September 23 in Tashkent and the Surkhandarya region; one of the machines is installed in front of the National Committee on Ecology building at 7A Bunyodkor Street in the capital’s Chilanzar district. A reward of 150 soums is provided for each container returned — it can be received in an e-wallet via Click or directed to charity. If the project proves effective, the machines are planned to be gradually installed in crowded places in Tashkent and other regions. The current mechanism differs from the deposit system: at present, residents receive a reward without paying a deposit when purchasing a beverage.

Context and content of the draft law

The mechanism for returning containers using deposits was previously included in the list of promising innovative projects by a presidential decree of May 31, 2023. In January 2025, the then Ministry of Ecology proposed gradually expanding the responsibility of producers and importers of plastic products, including mandatory recycling of 50% of plastic packaging used by 2026, 75% by 2027, and 100% by 2028. The October 20 session did not clarify whether these indicators are reflected in the new version of the draft law. The document presented to deputies provides for expanding the responsibility of producers and importers for waste from certain types of goods and packaging, and, in specified cases, applying a recycling fee. According to Kutbiddinov, in 2025 the country generated 15.1 million tons of household waste, but the share of its sorting was only 5.2%; a unified system linking separate collection with transfer for recycling has not yet been formed. The new version of the law consists of nine chapters and 60 articles and, in addition to regulating packaging recycling, provides for the classification of waste by hazard level, clarification of the responsibilities of state bodies and operators, new requirements for landfills and waste transfer stations, as well as changes in the financing of the sector.

Implications for residents and businesses

The event matters for consumers, beverage producers and retail chains: if the deposit system is enshrined in law, the price of a drink will include a refundable deposit, and businesses will have to build infrastructure for accepting containers. For now, however, the key parameters — the deposit amount, the operator and the timeline — have not been determined, and the fate of the recycling targets proposed by the ministry is not disclosed in the draft law, so the practical changes will only become clear after the law is adopted in subsequent readings.