The Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests, the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, and ECOTECA Association organized on Wednesday, November 26, the conference “Return & Recycle Insights – 2 Years of DRS in Romania”, an event dedicated to analyzing the results, challenges, and development directions of the Deposit-Return System (DRS) two years after its launch in Romania.

The event brought together representatives of central authorities, academia, the recycling industry, beverage producers, and technology providers in an open dialogue on the impact of the system, how the national collection infrastructure works, and perspectives for the coming years.

Participants analyzed the evolution of the system, the role of cooperation between the public and private sectors, changes in consumer behavior, and the need for an operational and technological framework adapted to the objective of reaching a 90% collection rate.

“I think that when the DRS was launched, everyone said ‘it won’t work’. It was postponed for about three years because people kept saying ‘it can’t be done this year’. Until suddenly, it began—starting this year. Two years later, a system has been consolidated that collects over 80% of packaging. It is a real success that shows that the private sector can mobilize alongside the public sector as long as there is proper collaboration, legislation, and clear operating criteria. The DRS is a project that showed us that millions of people can mobilize if they understand the system and have a personal stake in it. It works better than systems put in place by local decision-makers many years ago. Environmental protection is, in fact, the definition of patriotism. The small actions we take end up making this country cleaner.”
— Diana Buzoianu, Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests

“Today’s event is clear evidence that only by working together we succeed. Two years ago, the business environment, civil society, academia, and public authorities launched one of the most courageous environmental projects in Romania in recent decades. Today, we can be glad that Romania is cleaner, the population is more educated about recycling, and DRS data is transparent. I am happy to see that, in addition to established initiatives, innovative pilot projects are emerging—exploring and testing alternative logistics models and contributing to the development of more efficient and sustainable solutions.
We will continue to collaborate for a Romania with smart waste management!”
— Raul Pop, State Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests

“The implementation of the deposit-return system showed the need for a partnership between the state, the private sector, and universities. After two years, we have a functional system, built on studies and analyses carried out since 2018 by the Bucharest University of Economic Studies. Young people will define the sustainable future of Romania, and universities must actively participate in this transition. This is a good moment to analyze the progress made so far and the directions of future development.”
— Nicolae Istudor, Rector, Bucharest University of Economic Studies

“When we started at RetuRO in 2022, I gave my first speech right here, in this hall. One of the essential elements of the DRS’s success was the fundamental work from the beginning: planning, research, and a solid legal framework that set the direction for the entire system. Looking back, there were many challenges, but what made the difference was the cooperation between producers, retailers, authorities, and citizens, as well as continuous communication of every achievement, no matter how small. Today, nine out of ten citizens participate in the system. Romania should be very proud of what it has built.”
— Gemma Webb, CEO, RetuRO

“We are a green technology provider and were heavily involved in implementing the system. Our experience in over 60 similar programs has shown that the essential element is consumer accessibility. Today, there is a return point in every store in Romania, and this allows for very high collection rates. We are at over 80% collection and must reach at least 90%. Optimization stages are coming, and we are actively participating in discussions for improvements, so that Romania remains a European benchmark.”
— Doinița Mihai, Vice President Public Affairs South Eastern Europe, TOMRA Systems România

“Banks steer money in national economies, and it is important for them to be actors in the transition toward a low-emissions economy. That is why we got involved in the DRS not only through financing but also through education. We were, and still are, the only bank that financed RetuRO. It was a difficult project, but we trusted it would work, because we had seen similar systems in other countries.
At the same time, education is essential for us. Without community education, real change cannot happen, and projects like EcoStudent are part of this investment.”
— Marius Gavrea, Sustainability Manager, ING Romania

“We have been supporters of this system from the very beginning. We wanted to stop seeing packaging thrown anywhere in the environment. In Romania, the images of dams full of PET bottles or roads lined with packaging were infamous. If you are a tourist in our country, you will no longer see them. In less than a year, nature has become visibly cleaner—just as it should be. The DRS is an efficient system. Romania is a complex market, with 19 million citizens and 7 billion beverage containers placed on the market annually, and the fact that the system works at this scale shows that it is a European benchmark.”
— Alice Nichita, Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Director, Coca-Cola HBC Romania

“Before RetuRO, we could collect at most 30% of the market, with enormous effort and hundreds of collectors. The system eliminated old barriers. Today, through RetuRO, we collect 60–70% of all aluminum cans. RetuRO has created the most efficient return system in Europe. Jobs have been created, investments have increased, and the amount of packaging abandoned in nature has dropped significantly. For us, the change is fundamental.”
— Dragoș Doru, General Manager, Canpack Recycling

DRS Results in 2025

• 4.49 billion returned containers in 2025 (Jan–Oct 2025, RetuRO)
• National return rate over 84%: 83% plastic, 83% metal, 88% glass (Jan–Oct 2025, RetuRO)
• Over 4.38 billion containers sent for recycling, of which 4.25 billion entered recycling facilities (Jan–Oct 2025, RetuRO)
• Aluminum can recycling rate doubled since 2022: from 35% to over 70% in 2025 (Every Can Counts, European Aluminium)
• Romania is among the countries with the fastest DRS adoption: 9 in 10 Romanians say they use the system; 77% support it (Every Can Counts, Global Recycling Habits Survey 2025, 1,016 respondents from Romania)

The conference was supported by RetuRO, ING Romania, Canpack, TOMRA, and Coca-Cola HBC Romania. Logistic support was provided by Maidan Events, and analyses and data by CumStam.ro, EcoStudent, and Every Can Counts.