RetuRO, the administrator of the Deposit-Return System (DRS), the largest circular economy project in Romania, announces the evolution and results of the program for the period January–October 2025.
In the first ten months of 2025, approximately 4.5 billion DRS containers were returned, and RetuRO delivered over 320,000 tonnes of PET, aluminum, and glass to recyclers.
Two years after the launch of the Deposit-Return System in Romania, a total of around 7.9 billion containers have been collected, with more than 550,000 tonnes of materials reaching recyclers.
Data from October confirms the consolidation of the collection process, in which the number of returned containers may exceed the number of containers placed on the market in a given month, as consumers return packaging from products purchased in previous months. Thus, over 403 million containers were returned compared to approximately 388 million placed on the market, resulting in a return rate of around 104% for October.
With a collection rate of 84% in the first ten months of this year, the Deposit-Return System continues to support Romania’s transition toward a circular economy, mobilizing millions of Romanians to adopt environmentally responsible behavior.
