Romania surpasses 18 million packages recycled through Deposit-Return System

"Just in February, over 18 million packages have already been collected, mainly thanks to the population. We have record-breaking numbers, because if we remember what happened in the past months, in December we had approximately 30,000 packages collected, in January we had 2.2 million packages, and today we already have over 18 million. The Deposit-Return System works, and I can only be glad that we have absolutely no major problems with this system. We can hope that, as things evolve, Romania will be one of the countries where recycling becomes a way of life. It is true that, as I said at the launch of the project, the system is far from perfect, and every day there are small problems that we remedy, we know them, we are in dialogue with traders, be they large retailers or small shops. We are in constant dialogue with the producers, and we are extremely optimistic because we have these results," Fechet mentioned.

According to the head of the Environment, the Deposit-Return System will truly work if "all actors involved, citizens, authorities, producers, or traders, join this big dance of recycling."

"However, it seems that some actors have become tired and want to flee from the dance of recycling, and there are a few isolated cases of producers who want to opt out of the dance and want to hinder what we are building, namely a recycling country. They resort to different instruments: either they open processes through various courts, and I fully understand the right of anyone in Romania to appeal to the court when they consider themselves harmed in a right, or they have different initiatives through Parliament, trying to obtain 'exemptions' from recycling. However, my message remains just as clear: recycling is not a subject that can be treated infrequently. The Deposit-Return System is a system assumed at the government level, at the coalition level. This commitment is stronger today than ever. We will unequivocally reject any attempt to opt out of the Deposit-Return System," said the Minister of Environment.
He added that "Romania is committed to this one-way road called recycling" and that he is "open to talk, to dialogue, and to resolve amicably any kind of conflict, any kind of divergence that may exist between the ministry, the state, and any economic operator."

The DRS was implemented in Romania starting November 30, 2023, when Romanians are required to pay a deposit of 50 bani when purchasing a bottled beverage (water, soft drinks, beer, cider, wine, spirits) from a merchant. Subsequently, after emptying the package, the consumer will need to bring it to one of the return points organized by merchants and will receive back, on the spot, the value of the deposit paid initially, without being conditioned by presenting the fiscal receipt.