Romania is working to increase recycling rates for packaging. The representative associations of beverage producers and retailers therefore set up the non-profit entity RetuRO to administer the national Deposit Return System.

This system is Romania's largest circular economy project: it began on 30 November 2023 and is transforming the way that beverage packaging is collected and recycled. Plastic, metal and glass packaging is collected and sent for recycling, with any profits ploughed back into system development.   

It's a straightforward system: when you buy an unreusable bottle containing up to 3 litres of liquid, you pay a deposit of 0.50 RON (10 euro cents) for each bottle included in the scheme. You get the deposit back when you take the packaging to an automatic collection machine. The packaging is recycled on a bottle-to-bottle basis. 

Packaging must be clean, in good condition and not crushed to be accepted. Eligible packaging is identified by means of a logo: SGR „Ambalaj cu garanție” – companies are gradually adapting to the system so the number of eligible products is increasing. Other packaging is disposed of via the usual selective waste system. 

RetuRO is helping Romania meet European recycling targets, and has a reporting system tracking collection performance across Romania.