People Want Cash Back for Bottles and Cans: Ukraine Proposes Introducing the European DRS System
10 July 17:15
Ukraine may introduce cash rewards for returning used plastic bottles and aluminum cans. Petition No. 41/010299-26ep has been registered on the Cabinet of Ministers’ website, calling for the development of a bill to introduce a nationwide deposit-return system for beverage containers (Deposit Return System, DRS), reports "Komersant Ukrainian".
The initiative proposes that when purchasing a beverage, the buyer would pay a small deposit for the container. Once the bottle or can is returned via a special machine or collection point, the full amount of the deposit can be refunded.
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Ihor Stepukh, the author of the proposal, emphasizes that this model has long proven its effectiveness in European Union countries and could be one of the steps toward modernizing Ukraine’s waste management system.
“The introduction of such a system is not a new or experimental solution; but is based on proven practices that have been successfully implemented for many years in most European Union countries and demonstrate high rates of packaging collection for recycling,” the petition states.
Citing European experience
The author of the initiative notes that the implementation of the Deposit Return System aligns with Ukraine’s course toward European integration and the harmonization of environmental legislation with EU standards. The system is already in place in most European countries, including Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, and Romania. In these countries, the packaging return rate, as the petition’s author notes, exceeds 90%. In his view, implementing such a mechanism would not only increase the volume of recycled materials but also reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills or pollutes the environment.
Initially, the proposal is to apply the system only to the most common types of packaging—plastic PET bottles with a capacity of up to three liters and aluminum beverage cans. After evaluating the results, the list of eligible packaging may be gradually expanded.
It is anticipated that large supermarkets, hypermarkets, and retail chains will initially accept used bottles; they are required to install special vending machines or set up designated collection points. Other stores may join the system in the future.
The petition emphasizes that before launching the system, the Cabinet of Ministers must consult with manufacturers, importers, retail chains, local government representatives, and other market participants. Only after that, according to the author of the initiative, should the government determine the deposit amount for packaging, the list of containers eligible for the program, the operating procedures for the Deposit Return System, and the stages of its implementation.
According to the author of the petition, the introduction of a deposit system will help significantly reduce the number of plastic bottles and cans ending up in forests, parks, on roadsides, and in bodies of water. In addition, this should encourage citizens to return used packaging, increase recycling rates, reduce the burden on landfills, and cut local governments’ costs for cleaning up public areas.
“The introduction of a deposit-return system for packaging will be an important step in implementing the state’s environmental policy, fostering a culture of responsible waste management, increasing recycling rates, and fulfilling Ukraine’s European integration commitments,” the author of the petition notes.
In this regard, he calls on the government to draft a corresponding bill and ensure the phased implementation of a nationwide deposit-return system for beverage packaging in Ukraine.
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