Deputy Chief Executive Officer of AB InBev Efes Ukraine Denis Khrenov spoke about the company's readiness to implement the extended producer responsibility system

On November 30, the annual "Drinks of Ukraine" business meeting was held in Kyiv, which brought together beverage manufacturers, retail representatives and packaging suppliers, UNN writes.

Deputy Chief Executive Director of AB InBev Efes Ukraine Denis Khrenov became a participant of the panel discussion "Extended responsibility of producers. Local practices".

During the panel, the participants discussed the problem of waste management, which is currently one of the biggest environmental challenges for Ukraine. Currently, the best practice of waste management is the practice of European countries, which is based on Directive 2008/98/EU. It drives the maximum focus on reuse, resource conservation and replacement of primary natural resources with secondary ones. Thus, the Directive helps to reduce the negative impact on the environment and to ensure the preservation of natural resources, as well as to clearly regulate the issues of waste generation and management.

One of the important points of the Directive is the principle of extended producer responsibility (EPR). According to it, the manufacturer is responsible for the packaging and the products in it, producer must ensure separate collection, guarantee the transfer of packaging waste for processing or recovery of the packaging. An additional necessary element for the successful operation of the producer’s extended liability system is a special marking.

As of today, the EPR mechanism has not been fully implemented in Ukraine due to the absence of adoption of the necessary legislation. Lawmakers have been working in this area for more than 10 years. On the other hand, Ukrainian manufacturers are also actively involved in the development of legislative proposals regarding effective tools for the implementation of an effective EPR system.

"Currently we see a positive movement. As far as we understand, there is a plan to adopt the law in 2024," comments Denis Khrenov.

As a socially responsible business striving for long-term sustainable development, AB InBev Efes Ukraine adheres to the principles of careful use of natural resources and responsible waste management in its work. One of the company’s environmental goals is to use 100% reusable containers or packaging from mostly recycled materials by 2025. Thus, the company strives to reduce the volume of primary packaging materials and increase the amount of recyclable packaging, such as a keg or a returnable glass bottle, thereby contributing to the reduction of packaging waste.

"Our company is one of the largest producers of beverages in Ukraine, so we use a lot of packaging – both reusable and non-reusable. Reusable, by the way, is the most ecological and has a separate system for handling it. As representatives of a large business, we have been working for long on the implementation of the extended producer responsibility system and are ready to work in the market, where there will be a working waste management system," Denis Khrenov emphasized during his speech.

According to Denis Khrenov, the extended producer responsibility system should be a form of self-organization of businesses to coordinate efforts for separate collection and further responsible handling of the packaging waste. According to him, the company AB InBev Efes Ukraine is an active supporter of the introduction of EPR and is interested in having an efficient and effective system that will offer a favorable tariff to both the producer and the consumer of packaged products.

"In this direction, we cooperate with "UKRPEK" and other large companies. We see that the key conditions for the implementation of the EPR are the adoption of relevant legislation and the resolution of organizational issues regarding the possibility of creating legal entities for organizations operating at the separate waste collection market, currently this process requires obtaining a permit from the AMCU," he concluded.

The extended producer responsibility system in the context of waste management will work effectively if business cooperates and consumers understand the principles of proper waste sorting. That is why large-scale training for the population should become a mandatory part of the strategy for the implementation of EPR.

This approach is already used in the activities run by the Ukrainian Packaging and Environmental Coalition ("UKRPEK"), which is a non-profit organization and is supported exclusively by contributions from representatives of responsible business. "UKRPEK" already has the experience of implementing a pilot project in Vyshgorod for schools and kindergartens, which were provided with waste containers and educational materials on waste management and proper waste sorting. In the near future, the geography of such pilot initiatives will expand, in particular, it is planned to cover Vorzel, Irpin, Bucha, for which 400 containers for sorting garbage have already been purchased.