The second light industrial plant in Giarmata will be set up in a logistics space covering approximately 4,400 square meters inside the Global Vision industrial park, where counting and sorting of beverage containers collected from retailers will be carried out.
The construction and setup of the RetuRO light industrial plant in Timis County is due for completion in February, 2024. The sorting and counting equipement will be supplied and installed by Denmark’s Anker Andersen A/S. RetuRO signed with Anker Andersen A/S a turnkey equipment purchase agreement for all regional centers, which will be gradually opened by autumn next year, simultaneously with the increase in the volume of beverage containers made available on the market by producers, returned by consumers and collected by retailers.
The center in Giarmata will manage beverage containers collected both manually and automatically from almost 80,000 retailers nationwide. Glass containers will be counted, shattered and prepared for recycling. In addition, bales from regional counting centers will be brought here, and will undergo an optical sorting process. Metal containers (aluminum and steel) and plastic containers will be counted, sorted and compacted to be sent to recycling companies.
“Setting up the second light industrial plant in Giarmata represents another significant step in achieving our vision for a cleaner Romania. With the preparation of these industrial plants, we also started an important component of our development plan – the recruitment campaign for all 17 regional industrial centers. We have a very ambitious goal – about 600 employees, of which at least 500 will be part of these plants across the country. We remain committed to turning recyclable resources into an engine of positive change, and with every containers counted, sorted and recycled we contribute to a cleaner environment and a better future for all,” said Gemma Webb, RetuRO CEO and President of the Executive Board.
The Deposit Return System will operate in Romania with 17 light industrial plants, where RetuRO, as DRS administrator, will transport the beverage containers collected from the approximately 80,000 retailers. These will be counted and sorted to be transported to recycling companies to produce recycled raw material, which will be used in the production of new beverage containers.
The investment in the industrial infrastructure is supported by ING Bank Romania, which granted “green financing” worth RON426 million to RetuRO for the implementation of the most significant circular economy project at country level.
The Deposit Return System in Romania is a uniquely complex project at the European level, with significant long-term benefits but its implementation faces multiple challenges at the beginning. It is of great importance to mention first the actual time available to RetuRO for the implementation of the project in Romania, that was only one year, from the hiring of the first employee, the CEO of the company, in November 2022, until the Go live moment, scheduled for November 30, 2023.