TOMRA welcomes today’s launch of Romania’s deposit return scheme
Starting from today, 30 November, a new deposit return system (DRS) for drink containers has come into effect in Europe, in the country of Romania. The DRS seeks to promote separate collection and recycling of drink containers to meet European Union (EU) targets, by giving a financial value to drink containers to incentivize returns.
Romania joins the other 13 European countries that have already introduced a DRS. The system is set to become the second-largest DRS in Europe, and the world's largest centralized national DRS by volume of containers so far.
Mircea Fechet (Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests) returns a drink container for recycling to a TOMRA reverse vending machine at today's deposit return scheme launch
The DRS was officially inaugurated today by the Romanian Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests and President of the Senate, together with RetuRO, the system administrator for the new deposit system. The launch event was held at a traditional retail store, La Cocos, in the capital Bucharest.
Implementing Romania’s deposit return scheme
The new DRS will span over 7 billion drink containers each year, positioning Romania as a regional leader in packaging collection and in sustainable initiatives for a cleaner environment. The DRS covers all beverages (except milk) in single-use glass, plastic or metal containers with volumes ranging from 0.1 to 3 liters. Under the DRS, the consumer pays a deposit of 0.50 RON (equivalent to approximately €0.10) when purchasing an eligible, labelled drink. After consumption, consumers can bring the empty container to an automated or manual return point located at retailers, where they will be refunded the deposit as a voucher or cash. Containers can be returned to all stores that sell eligible beverage containers.
The targets for plastic bottles include a separate collection rate of 77% by 2025 and 90% by 2029. Through the DRS, Romania plans to achieve a minimum 90% collection rate as of 2026, ensuring drink containers can be turned into new bottles and cans again and again, driving a circular economy.
TOMRA Collection Romania is providing reverse vending machine (RVM) infrastructure to retailers of all sizes, both in modern hypermarkets/supermarkets and traditional local store setups, to automate the return of drink containers and make the process more efficient for both consumers and retail staff. The company has also advised retailers on DRS implementation and the selection of the most suitable RVMs based on store needs. TOMRA has over 50 years’ experience working in deposit return systems around the world, across all parts of the value chain.
We are delighted to see the launch of the deposit return system, an efficient and proven solution to waste challenges. Many stakeholders have been involved and consulted in the process to bring this DRS to life, such as retailers and beverage producers.
Dorin Mihai continued, "From the beginning of this process, TOMRA has supported all stakeholder groups with information and technology to facilitate this change and contribute together to a cleaner environment."
According to TOMRA’s 2023 consumer research study, "How recycling habits impact shopping behavior: Consumer engagement with deposit return systems in Europe", 87% of recyclers use their deposit refund to pay for purchases in the same store where they return containers. The main motivations for returning containers are reclaiming the deposit (76% of respondents), environmental concern (59%), and keeping their homes tidy (44%). When choosing a store to return containers, a well-functioning reverse vending solution was considered the third most important factor – even more important than easy parking.
"Accessibility and ease of use are crucial for consumers when returning containers – a valuable insight for retailers in planning their container return facilities. The fact that so many consumers in existing deposit markets use the deposit to pay for groceries in the same store where they return containers also highlights the business opportunities that a deposit return system can bring for retailers," added Dorin Mihai.
TOMRA is a trusted partner for retailers worldwide, with approximately 82,000 machines installed in more than 60 markets, collecting over 45 billion used beverage containers globally each year.
About TOMRA Collection:
TOMRA Collection provides reverse vending machines for Clean Loop Recycling, to transform society’s habits and keep valuable resources in a continuous loop of use and reuse. The company’s solutions collect aluminum, plastic and glass beverage containers to be continually reused and recycled back into new bottles and cans. With approximately 82,000 installations across more than 60 markets, TOMRA reverse vending machines capture over 45 billion used bottles and cans each year. This reduces reliance on raw materials, and ensures fewer containers end up in our streets, oceans and landfills. TOMRA’s reverse vending machines, digital solutions and service make recycling easy for the industry, system owners, retailers and consumers to contribute to a more sustainable planet. Visit our Reverse Vending pages on tomra.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
TOMRA Collection is a division of TOMRA Group. Today, TOMRA is leading the resource revolution to transform how the planet’s resources are obtained, used and reused to enable a world without waste. The company’s other business divisions comprise TOMRA Food and TOMRA Recycling. The Group employs approximately 5,000 people globally and is publicly listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
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