A bill on mandatory shelves with free products was submitted to the State Duma

If the bill is approved, the new rules could come into force as early as 2025. The document, prepared by deputies of the Just Russia – For Truth party, proposes changes to Article 8 of the Law “On the Fundamentals of State Regulation of Commercial Activities in the Russian Federation.”

The explanatory note to the bill states that many retail chains recycle some of their products, as consumers prefer fresher products in intact and undamaged packages.

The authors of the initiative refer to data from researchers at the National Research University’s Higher School of Economics, according to which more than a third of all products in the country end up as waste. The volume of food waste per year is estimated at 17 million tons, with a value of approximately 1.6 trillion rubles.

According to the authors of the bill, mandatory social shelters will solve the problem and improve the standard of living of the least protected groups of citizens.

At the same time, the draft law does not yet contain clear criteria on which product categories and in what quantities chains should offer on social shelves. The government must set specific requirements.

In January 2024, a bill was introduced to introduce mandatory free shelving. Arguing the expediency of the measure, the authors noted that by the end of 2022, 14.3 million people in Russia were below the poverty line.