The National University of Music Bucharest has become the sixth higher education institution to join the ECO Student initiative, a sustainability project led by ECOTECA Association in partnership with ING Bank and TOMRA Collection Romania.
Launched last year, the ECO Student program has already expanded to six university campuses across Romania, where students have collected nearly 200,000 deposit-return packaging items. UNMB is the latest academic partner, benefiting from the installation of a reverse vending machine (RVM) that allows students to return deposit-bearing containers directly within the university dormitory.
In addition to UNMB, the project is active in the Regie and Polizu campuses of the National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, as well as at the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, the West University of Timisoara, and the University of Oradea.
The ECO Student program combines the installation of automated collection systems with educational activities and practical workshops. Through these, students learn about circular economy principles and the importance of responsible resource recovery.
According to Petra Șerbănescu, Project Manager at ECOTECA, Romania demonstrated strong progress in 2025, achieving an average collection rate of 83%, compared to 55% in 2024. She emphasized that the long-term success of the deposit-return system depends on making collection infrastructure easily accessible in everyday life, with university campuses playing a key strategic role.
Rector Diana Moș of UNMB highlighted that environmental responsibility and sustainability education should extend beyond technical or environmental universities, stressing that all students, regardless of specialization, should be involved.
Dorin Mihai, General Manager of TOMRA Collection Romania, added that the company continues to invest in educating environmentally responsible generations by providing modern technological solutions and easier access to the deposit-return system.
For each returned container, the RVM issues a voucher equivalent to the deposit value. These vouchers can be used for shopping or exchanged for cash within the Mega Image network, making it easier for students to recover their deposit.
