As part of the annual campaign “Choose a clean city”, about 100 volunteers – employees of the three BAT economic entities present in Romania, representatives of the National Agency for the Environment and Natural Protected Areas Prahova, volunteers from the Petrol – Gaze Ploiești University and the Romanian Association for Smart City – managed to collect over 15 tons of waste from the Plopeni forest, a Natura 2000 protected natural area, in a single day. The event took place in the context of World Environment Day, marked in June by projects that transform sustainability into concrete actions to protect the environment and the communities we call “home”.

Through each annual edition of the campaign to raise awareness of the need to protect the environment, BAT emphasizes the importance of simple gestures and hopes that the involvement and results obtained by employees will in turn become a source of inspiration for communities. The over 15 tons of waste collected in a single day from the Plopeni forest in Prahova County – a protected natural area, Natura 2000 site – means construction waste, PETs, boxes, windows, car parts, scrap tires, bottles and textiles. The project is part of the series of actions to protect the environment and efficiently manage water resources according to the AWS certification of the BAT factory in Ploiești and was carried out with the valuable support for impeccable organization provided by the Romanian Association for Smart City, volunteers from the Petrol – Gaze University of Ploiești and representatives of the National Agency for the Environment and Natural Protected Areas Prahova, the Slănic Forest District and the Plopeni City Hall, who provided expertise and information about the protected site, as well as equipment and tractors with trailers necessary for taking over the waste. The Plopeni Forest Protected Natural Area includes oak and hornbeam forests up to 180 years old, the Banatian dill – an endemic species of major conservation importance, and over 50 species of insects, amphibians and plants rare or endemic to the Wallachia region.

“Every year we want to take this campaign one step further on our path to raise awareness of the importance of simple gestures on our communities. The over 15 tons of waste collected would have continued to pollute the soil, waters and natural habitats, endangering a special place, protected for the unique beauty it offers us. But our action was not just about cleanliness, but about the joy of being together in a gesture of responsibility. When people with common values ​​choose to get involved, a community is born that not only reacts, but also prevents. Sustainability starts with each of us, through involvement, empathy and the conviction that good is done together”, said Ileana Dumitru, External Affairs Director of the South East Europe Area, BAT

The Choose a Clean City campaign reaches its seventh edition this year, which is part of the series of actions carried out by BAT to achieve sustainability objectives, but also to raise awareness of the importance reducing the impact on the environment by reducing the consumption of resources and managing them responsibly. The over 3,400 BAT employees in Romania contribute every year to multiplying messages of awareness of the importance of simple individual gestures, with major impact for the environment and society. Annually, BAT Romania entities carry out internal initiatives such as blood donation campaigns, selective collection, textile donations for reuse and recycling or planting and afforestation actions. This year, over 23,000 trees took root in Buzău and Călărași counties, following the successive planting actions of the glo team within BAT Romania.

The transformation of the linear economy requires changing the way businesses design, produce, use and dispose of products, and BAT aims to integrate the principle of circularity into all its products. The company has developed a circular approach for the entire product lifecycle – in 2021, BAT Romania launched a nationwide collection program for previous versions of the glo device, with various communication campaigns developed in this regard. In 2023, the program was expanded to include the collection of the vaping device from the company’s portfolio. Currently, around 450 collection points* are operational nationwide and over 155,000 devices have been returned for recycling.

About BAT’s sustainability goals in Romania

The BAT factory in Ploiești is the only company in Prahova County certified by AWS for sustainable water management. At BAT, sustainability is not just an objective, but a responsibility assumed. We are actively involved in protecting the environment to reduce the impact on environmental factors and the community and we constantly adopt measures to ensure that we strictly comply with all legal emission/odor limits, being promoters for sustainable development and open communication with the local community. The BAT factory in Ploiești has achieved the following goals:

• 17% reduction in carbon footprint compared to 2020 – the equivalent of 38,500 trees that would absorb CO₂ for one year;

• over 66% of the energy used comes from renewable sources, including photovoltaic panels installed on the factory roof;

• 33,000 m³ of water saved compared to 2024, maintaining the same level of production – equivalent to the annual consumption of 600 people;

• 100% of waste is recycled or co-incinerated, with a 12% increase in the recycling rate in 2025 compared to 2024 – which means 168 tonnes of CO₂ avoided;

• leaders in protecting water resources

About BAT’s global sustainability goals

Our sustainability agenda is an important part of the group’s strategy for creating a better future – A Better Tomorrow™ and reflects our commitment to reducing the impact of business on the environment, for the common good and through positive outcomes for all stakeholders. BAT’s global sustainability targets include

• a 50% reduction in GHG emissions for Scope 1 and 2 and a 50% reduction in GHG emissions for Scope 3 by 2030 (compared to a 2020 baseline);

• 100% of our packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable where possible by 2025;

• a 90% recycling rate of waste generated in our operations by 2025;

• a 25% reduction in waste generated in our operations by 2025 (compared to a 2017 baseline);

• less than 1% of operational waste to landfill by 2025.

BAT recently celebrated its fifth consecutive recognition by the Financial Times as a Climate Action Leader.