Romania joins the other 13 European countries that have already introduced a DRS. The system is set to become the second-largest DRS in Europe, and the world's largest centralized national DRS by volume of containers so far.
The DRS was officially inaugurated today by the Romanian Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests and President of the Senate, together with RetuRO, the system administrator for the new deposit system. The launch event was held at a traditional retail store, La Cocos, in the capital Bucharest.
Implementing Romania’s deposit return scheme
The new DRS will span over 7 billion drink containers each year, positioning Romania as a regional leader in packaging collection and in sustainable initiatives for a cleaner environment. The DRS covers all beverages (except milk) in single-use glass, plastic or metal containers with volumes ranging from 0.1 to 3 liters. Under the DRS, the consumer pays a deposit of 0.50 RON (equivalent to approximately €0.10) when purchasing an eligible, labelled drink. After consumption, consumers can bring the empty container to an automated or manual return point located at retailers, where they will be refunded the deposit as a voucher or cash. Containers can be returned to all stores that sell eligible beverage containers.
The targets for plastic bottles include a separate collection rate of 77% by 2025 and 90% by 2029. Through the DRS, Romania plans to achieve a minimum 90% collection rate as of 2026, ensuring drink containers can be turned into new bottles and cans again and again, driving a circular economy.
TOMRA Collection Romania is providing reverse vending machine (RVM) infrastructure to retailers of all sizes, both in modern hypermarkets/supermarkets and traditional local store setups, to automate the return of drink containers and make the process more efficient for both consumers and retail staff. The company has also advised retailers on DRS implementation and the selection of the most suitable RVMs based on store needs. TOMRA has over 50 years’ experience working in deposit return systems around the world, across all parts of the value chain.
