Romania prepares launch of national beverage bottle DRS system RetuRo

20 Nov 2023 --- Romania is introducing a deposit-refund scheme (DRS) for beverage bottles at the end of this month. The day-to-day system that drives the country’s ecological transition is said to be “perfectly in tune” with the “codes of the circular economy,” according to national DRS company RetuRo. Consumers will receive the equivalent of €0.10 (US$0.11) for each bottle returned. 

The project has been repeatedly postponed due to pressure from retailers, who were not ready to integrate the process into their operations. Initially, it was due to be rolled out from January 2021, before being postponed until October 1, 2022. 

A group of beverage associations, producers and traders established company RetuRo to manage a guarantee-return system. Later, it also adopted the Romanian state as a shareholder. 

The company is based on the non-profit principle, meaning that it plans to reinvest any profit exclusively in the development of the system.

RetuRo’s mission is to implement Romania’s largest circular economy project — the guarantee-return system. The system will boost the national recycling market, offering significant quantities and quality of raw materials, according to RetuRo.

Returnable bottles will be marked with a logo for easy identification.Non-reusable return 
The guarantee-return system is a system through which Romanians will pay a guarantee of RON0.50 (US$0.1) when buying a drink — water, soft drinks, beer, cider, wine or spirits — from a merchant. 

The system applies to non-reusable primary glass, plastic or metal packaging, with volumes between 0.1–3 L inclusive. The products part of the system will be marked with a specific logo to be easily identified. 

After emptying the packaging, consumers can bring it to one of the return points organized by merchants, available in any store nationwide. In exchange for the empty packaging, the consumer will get the value of the originally paid guarantee back without needing to present the tax receipt and if the product was bought at a different location.

With the licensing of RetuRo, the system implementation period begins. The company aims for the system to be functional throughout Romania in 2024.

In other developments, the Quebec Beverage Container Recycling Association (QBCRA)/Consignaction — the local producer responsibility organization — entered into a long-term agreement with the global reverse vending technology company Tomra to “modernize” the recovery of redeemable beverage containers in the province.

Last month, a coalition of UK beverage industry stakeholders collectively penned a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urging the government to implement DRS for drink packaging.

By Natalie Schwertheim 

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