Members of the Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine NGO appealed to the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management to resume work on draft law No. 10066 “On Packaging and Packaging Waste.”
The activists posted the text of their urgent proposal on Facebook.
They reminded that according to the National Waste Management Plan until 2033, about 30% of household waste in Ukraine is packaging waste. Of this, only 12-14% is recycled.
According to the activists, these figures indicate a critical situation in the field of packaging waste management in Ukraine and emphasize the need to introduce an effective Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system.
Members of the Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine insist that the adoption of the draft law No. 10066 “On Packaging and Packaging Waste” is an important step in this direction.
“As the public, we demand compliance with the established deadlines and the immediate resumption of the process of adopting the draft law No. 10066 “On Packaging and Packaging Waste”, which has been in the works for more than a year,” the activists wrote.
They also called on environmental organizations to sign an appeal to resume the process of adopting the draft law and publish its text for public review.
Basic information about the draft law No. 10066
Date of registration: 09/18/2023.
The initiator of the draft law is the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal.
Subject of the right of legislative initiative: The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
Number at registration in the Verkhovna Rada: 4229-IX.
Special features: designated as European integration.
Main Committee: Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Environmental Policy and Nature Management.
Submitted for consideration by the ecological committee: 20.09.2023.
It should be noted that this draft law has two alternative versions: No. 10061-1 and No. 10061-2. They were initiated by MPs. They are included in the agenda under the same number as the first draft law – No. 4229-IX. They were submitted to the Environmental Committee a little later, in early October 2023.
It should be reminded that the members of the Environmental Committee planned to work on the version of the draft law for the first reading in February-August this year. The Parliament's 2025 Legislative Work Plan provides for consideration of draft laws No. 10066, No. 10061-1 and No. 10061-2 in the 3rd quarter.
Background on the issue
Back in February 2024, the Head of the Environmental Committee, Oleh Bondarenko, stated that Draft Law No. 10066 “On Packaging and Packaging Waste” could be adopted at the 11th or early 12th session of the Verkhovna Rada, i.e. in 2024. During an offsite meeting of the Environmental Committee in Lviv on February 26, he said that at that time the document was being completely revised by a working group. They promised to submit it to the parliament in the near future.
“I think in the near future we will submit a new version [of the draft law – ed. I really hope that we will pass it either at this session [of the Verkhovna Rada – ed. We all really need it. We understand how the system should work and what its components should be. We also see some resistance,” Oleh Bondarenko commented on the work on draft law No. 10066 at the time.
Judging by the delay, the resistance was incredibly strong. The public and experts are still waiting for the new – revised – version of the document.
