An initiative aimed at changing citizens' habits regarding waste and ecology is gaining momentum in Ukraine. A petition has been registered on the Cabinet of Ministers' website proposing the creation of a nationwide deposit system for beverage packaging. The authors of the initiative suggest implementing a mechanism that has already proven its effectiveness in most European Union countries.

The essence of the proposal is that when purchasing a drink, the consumer pays a small deposit on the packaging. This amount would be fully refunded to the citizen after returning the used packaging to special machines or collection points.

European experience as an example to follow

The author of the petition, Ihor Stepukh, emphasizes that the Deposit Return System (DRS) has been successfully operating in Europe for many years. The statistics speak for themselves: in countries such as Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, and Romania, the return rate of packaging exceeds 90%.

Implementing a similar model in Ukraine would be an important step in implementing state environmental policy and fulfilling obligations related to European integration.

How the system will work

According to the initiative's plan, in the first stage, the system should cover:

  • Plastic bottles (PET) with a volume of up to 3 liters;
  • Aluminum beverage cans.

Large retail chains, supermarkets, and hypermarkets will become a key element of the infrastructure, as they will be required to ensure the acceptance of used packaging. In the future, the mechanism is planned to be extended to other retail outlets.

The deposit amount, the list of packaging types, and the stages of implementation are proposed to be determined by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine after consultations with manufacturers, importers, retail chains, and local authorities.

Ecology and budget savings

Launching the system pursues several important goals. First, it creates direct economic motivation for citizens to return used packaging rather than throwing it away. Second, the initiative should significantly reduce the number of plastic bottles and aluminum cans that currently end up in forests, parks, by the roadside, and in water bodies.

Furthermore, implementing a deposit will allow local communities to reduce spending on cleaning territories and waste disposal, bringing Ukraine closer to modern European environmental standards.