The deposit and return system at the start line

A system for more efficiently recycling beverage containers will be operational in Romania as of Thursday

Leyla Cheamil, 28.11.2023, 13:50

Romania is implementing a deposit and return
scheme aimed at more efficiently recycling beverage containers. The scheme will
be operational as of Thursday, with Romanians due to pay a 10-Eurocent deposit
when buying a bottled beverage from a retailer. After they finish the drinks, consumers will have to drop
off the containers to one of the return centres set up by retailers and will be
refunded the deposit, without having to produce a receipt for the original
purchase.

Beverages will gradually start to have a deposit
for container label in stores, the programme managers said, and only beverages
carrying that label will require the payment of a deposit. When both types of containers are sold by
a retailer at the same time, the deposit-carrying products must be indicated clearly
and separately, so that consumers may be aware of the products for which they
can be refunded their 10-Eurocent deposit.

The environment
minister, Mircea Fechet, estimates that in a few years’ time, Romania will
improve its recycling rate significantly:

Mircea Fechet: If we look at the present situation, we see
the separate collection rate, and implicitly the recycling rate, is extremely
low, 12% – 13%. If we look at the performance of the deposit and return schemes
in other European countries, we can see that in Germany, for instance, this
rate is 95% for glass bottles and 98% for aluminium cans. Now, maybe it will
take some time for us to catch up with Germany, but starting with the 3rd
year of operation the scheme should have performance parameters above 90%. Which
I believe is an extraordinary progress for Romania.ˮ

The environment
minister also emphasised that this is the largest public-private partnership in
Romania, and that Romania’s is the second-largest deposit and return scheme in
Europe after the one in Germany. I expect not only good cooperation between
all stakeholders, but also patience, because I am confident that in 5 years’
time, when we see a clean country, a country free of plastic bottles and other packaging
waste, we will be able to say that introducing this system was a very good
idea,ˮ Mr. Fechet said.

The company that manages the scheme estimates
that by mid-2024 all beverages targeted
by the deposit and return scheme will be found in stores in appropriately labelled
containers. All retailers must set up return centres and sign agreements for container
pick-up.

The first container
sorting centre in the integrated collection and recycling system was opened on
Monday in Cluj County (north-west). Further centres will be opened in Timiş (west),
Bacău (east) and Bucharest (south). (AMP)