“The linear business model no longer works. The resources we have are increasingly limited and there is an urgent need to change the business models we currently have. The opportunities that appear in a circular economy system come from maximizing the resources already introduced into the system. The circular economy is not only about recycling. We have a partnership with CHEP that helps us have a sustainable logistics model. This partnership has very good results.

Within our stores, we have integrated the “O noua viata” project, through which we sell pre-worn clothes, and we have other initiatives such as renting tools to help customers use those tools only when they need them,” Corina Dospinoiu, Sustainability Director, Auchan Retail Romania said during Circular Economy Conference organized by Sustainability Today and The Diplomat-Bucharest.

“The deposit-return system is a major opportunity for retailers, for citizens and for Romania. We see increasing pressure from the European Commission to meet the recycling targets and DRS is one of the answers to this challenge.

It is already clear that there is a need for consumer education, and this is the biggest challenge in Romania. This is where industry and the Romanian state must join forces.

In 2011, we implemented the first RVMs in Romania. It was very clear then that the market was not yet ready, but we knew that DRS would appear and we prepared in advance for the implementation of the system.

We had various projects through which we tried to educate and inform consumers in partnership with Coca Cola. Since April 2023, we have collected a total of over 43 million packages (DRS and non-DRS), respectively 10 million packages since the deposit-return system began.

Regarding the DRS, I would speed up communication efforts, as the system is not sufficiently well understood by consumers. Strong communication is needed from the retailers, but also from RetuRO. I believe that consumers should be more open to a system that is still at the beginning, that is not perfect, and I think that things would work better than at present.”