Uzbekistan has approved a list of products that must include mandatory recycling information.

Initially, the document was developed by the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change in collaboration with the Uzbek Agency for Technical Regulation, in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated January 4, 2024, "On measures to improve the waste management system and reduce its negative impact on the environmental situation for enhancing the waste management system and mitigating its adverse effects on the ecological situation." However, it was later rejected by the Ministry of Justice. Previously, the country did not have an official list of products for which information on recycling was mandatory.

The list includes materials such as plastic, paper, metals, glass, composite materials, as well as batteries and accumulators, and construction waste. Each item in the list is assigned unique code numbers and symbols. It is important to note that changes will be made to the mandatory waste designations as necessary.

According to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers dated July 7, 2017, "On the approval of the general technical regulation on the safety of packaging in contact with food products," the list is set to come into effect 12 months later.

During the public discussion process, the proposals from entrepreneurs were taken into account, which allowed for the improvement of the document that will come into force 18 months after its official publication. This decision will help expedite waste recycling and the effective use of secondary raw materials, which, in turn, contributes to reducing the level of environmental pollution.