2025-12-16

Ukrainian delegation draws lessons on extended producer responsibility

Early December, a delegation from the Ukrainian Parliament, ministries and municipalities, carried out a study visit to Sweden within the framework of the WM4U programme. The main purpose of the visit was to exchange experiences on the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) with a focus on packaging, in line with the EU’s ambitions and the forthcoming legislation in Ukraine.

During the visit to Stockholm, the delegation received a broad and in-depth insight into the Swedish EPR system and how it functions in practice. At the beginning of the week, they were introduced to Sweden’s EPR principles and the country’s experience in the field, with presentations from, among others, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and Avfall Sverige. The focus was on both the overarching system design and how packaging recycling is organised at the local level.

During visits to collection and sorting facilities, the delegation had the opportunity to see how actors such as Stockholm Vatten & Avfall, SRV Återvinning, and Remondis work with the collection, transport, and recycling of packaging. The delegation also gained deeper insight into the structure of producer responsibility systems from Näringslivets Producentansvar and Returpack, as well as the municipalities’ roles in planning, information, coordination, and financing.

The delegation expressed great interest in how Sweden has managed to combine legislation, producer responsibility, and municipal services to achieve high recycling rates. Particular appreciation was given to the parts concerning how municipalities plan and finance collection and recycling, as well as how targets are measured and followed up.

The visit also included political and strategic discussions, where the delegation met members of the Committee on Environment and Agriculture in the Swedish Parliament, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and Sida. The discussions focused on international cooperation and knowledge transfer from Sweden to Ukraine, as well as what Sweden can learn from Ukraine.

The week contributed to an increased understanding of how Swedish solutions can be adapted to the Ukrainian context, and the participants emphasised the value of continued cooperation between Ukraine and Sweden in waste management and the circular economy.

Senast uppdaterad - 2025-12-16