The opening of this center represents a milestone for Romania, signaling the beginning of a significant transformation, both structurally and culturally. Set to become operational from November 30th, 2023, coinciding with the official launch of the Deposit-Return System, the center will open a new chapter in how we approach beverage packaging in the future, fundamentally changing our consumption and recycling habits.
The regional center in Bontida is the first of its kind to be opened by RetuRO. Located within the Olympian industrial park, the center covers an area of 4,700 square meters and is equipped with advanced counting and sorting equipment from Anker Andersen A/S, a market leader in the industry.
Through this center, as well as through the system it administers, RetuRO contributes to shaping a more sustainable future, where every person and every action counts in protecting the environment.
“The opening of the first RetuRO regional center in Romania at Bontida marks the beginning of a profound and lasting transformation. This center, along with the others planned and with the approximately 80,000 return points across the country, will actively engage 19 million Romanians, thus building the most complex recycling infrastructure in the country. In close collaboration with all stakeholders involved, we aim to make recycling a daily habit, an integral part of the Romanian identity, to lead Romania towards a greener and more responsible future. Of course, this is just the beginning. We will continue until recycling becomes even easier and transforms Romania into a model to follow. And this is a mission that we all must undertake. Every can, every recycled bottle, will contribute to a cleaner Romania, and today’s event is proof of what we can achieve when we join forces,” said Gemma Webb, RetuRO CEO and President of the Executive Board.
In a video intervention from Bucharest, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu emphasized the importance of the DRS as an exemplary model of circular economy, highlighting the benefits that the system will bring to Romania, especially in terms of reducing the quantity of packaging waste in Romania.
“(…) The current government, together with the private sector, has managed to launch perhaps the most important national project in this field in the last 30 years. Starting from November 30th, the citizens of Romania will join more than 350 million people worldwide living in a country with a Deposit Return System. Looking at Europe, at this moment, 13 countries have implemented DRS, reaching a population of nearly 145 million people. In just three days, with Romania joining, there will be over 163 million European citizens more mindful of the environment they live in […],” said PM Marcel Ciolacu.
Romanians will be the ones to benefit from the largest circularity project in Romania in the last 30 years. It will be the most modern in Europe, and we will learn from all the things that have worked or not worked in other countries and get it up and running. I thank everyone, and I want to say that from now on, we will transform Romania from a country of storage to a country of recycling.”
Representatives of the beverage production industry and retailers highlighted the crucial role of these sectors in initiating and supporting the DRS, demonstrating their commitment to a more sustainable future.
The Deposit-Return System is a circular economy project in which Romanians will pay a guarantee of 0.50 RON when they buy a drink (water, soft drinks, beer, cider, wine, spirits) from a retailer. The system applies to primary non-reusable packaging made of glass, plastic, or metal, with volumes ranging from 0.1 to 3 liters inclusive. To be easily identified, the products that are part of the system will be marked with a specific logo.
After emptying the packaging, the customer will need to bring it to one of the return points organized by retailers. In exchange for the empty packaging, the customer will immediately receive back the value of the initially paid guarantee, without the need to present the fiscal receipt, even if the respective product was not purchased from that location.
These products, part of the DRS, will gradually reach store shelves, over a period of several months after the System’s launch on November 30th, and can be identified by the „Packaging with guarantee” marking applied on the label. Therefore, RetuRO recommends all Romanians not to stockpile packaging before the launch of the DRS. These will not be redeemable at the return points based on a guarantee because the sum of 50 bani was not paid when buying the product and are not marked with the logo that certifies that they are carriers of a guarantee. Non-DRS packaging can still be returned through the classic selective collection method, used until now for the recovery of all types of packaging, at traditional collection points.