A new phase has begun in Armenia’s waste management sector. The Ministry of Environment is developing a draft law on "Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) System", which aims to require producers and importers to take responsibility for the entire life cycle of their products, including the safe disposal of the resulting waste.
Technical assistance for this process is being provided by the Acopian Center for the Environment at the American University of Armenia, within the framework of “Waste Management Policy in Armenia” project. With the participation of the Center’s legal experts, the draft law is being developed along with by-laws for specific waste types, as well as a package of amendments to related legislative acts.
In April, during a roundtable on "Municipal Solid Waste Management and Landfill Sites in Yerevan" held at EcoLur Press Club, Harutyun Alpetyan, a waste management expert from the Acopian Center, addressed the anticipated legislative amendments in the field.
He noted that the logic behind extended producer responsibility legislation and its implementation will fundamentally change perceptions regarding recyclable waste. “The goal of the producer responsibility system is to ease or reduce the burden on municipalities in the area of waste management, because recycling is not a profitable business. It only becomes profitable when the process is financed by both the consumer and the producer,” Harutyun Alpetyan noted.
Alpetyan cited Germany as an example, where waste collection fees are quite high. He also referred to certain provisions in Armenia’s Tax Code: “The environmental fee of 60 AMD per ton of waste at a landfill can only be paid if the waste is disposed of in an officially recognized landfill site. As of 2020, out of 300 landfill sites in Armenia, only 90 are recorded in the Ministry of Environment’s official list. Moreover, the volume of waste disposed of in tons is not measured, which complicates monitoring and fee collection.”
Alpetyan also emphasized that the environmental tax paid to the state is not purposefully allocated to waste management. It is mainly used for landfill recultivation and closure. “It’s not spent on waste management itself. That means collection, transportation, and sorting of waste are mainly funded through waste collection fees. The lowest waste collection fees in Europe—for example, in Hungary or Romania—start at around 1,000 AMD per month. The World Bank conducted a study on waste collection fees in Armenia. According to that study, we could pay five times more than we currently do. In other words, instead of the current 200 AMD per capita per month, it could become 1,000 AMD. We have the capacity to pay. Naturally, there are vulnerable groups, so there should be a scheme based on the principle of fairness,” he said.
According to Alpetyan, waste sorting and recycling are quite expensive processes and should be funded through waste collection fees and financial resources derived from extended producer responsibility. He gave an example - about 4 AMD is needed to collect and recycle a plastic bottle used for drinking water. He noted that waste producers include us, the consumers, and that both consumers and producers should bear that burden. “This system has been operating in Europe for over 30 years. It has been so successful that more and more product types are being included under this legislation—textiles, tires, motor oils, and electronic waste. For EU countries, producer responsibility is mandatory for packaging, electronic equipment waste, tires, and batteries/accumulators. The Government of Armenia plans to approve a list of products subject to extended producer responsibility, meaning that waste generated from the consumption of these products will fall under this legislation,” he emphasized.
These reforms aim to establish an effective and sustainable waste management system, reducing environmental impact and promoting recycling processes.
May 06, 2025 at 20:09