Green Forum • 20 June, 2024 at 2:00 PM
RetuRO, the Deposit Return System administrator, reported that in the first six months of the program's operation, it handed over 29,000 tonnes of DRS packaging to recyclers.
This performance represents approximately 85% of the packaging returned and collected from consumers. Of the collected amount sent to recycling stations, about 90% was directed to local operators following the bottle-to-bottle principle, ensuring that the secondary raw material ends up in the same type of product it originated from.
The DRS is a national project that significantly impacts the entire collection-recycling chain, offering a transparent tool for tracking the quantities collected and sent for recycling. In the first six months since its implementation, the Deposit Return System has shown steady progress.
Producers have placed 152,000 tonnes of packaging on the market, with 34,000 tonnes collected from the system's launch until the end of May this year.
Currently, around 2,000 daily trips are operated by the 600 vehicles involved in the daily collection of DRS packaging. About 85% of the collected packaging has already been sent to recycling facilities, the final stage of this complex mechanism, confirming the efficient functioning of the Deposit Return System.
"RetuRO not only ensures the return of materials to the market but also maintains transparency throughout
the packaging chain, from market placement to collection and recycling. The Guarantee-Return System is
developing a comprehensive infrastructure that supports recycling efforts in Romania, integrating technology,
state of the art equipment, strategic planning, and, most importantly, community involvement. The results
achieved in the first six months since the launch of this national program in Romania reinforce our belief that,
together with all stakeholders, we will make a decisive contribution to strengthening a circular economy in
Romania", says Gemma Webb, CEO and President of the RetuRO Board of Directors.