Over 8.9 billion packaging items have been collected since the launch of Romania's Deposit-Return System (SGR), while more than 647,000 tonnes of materials have reached recyclers, according to data announced on Wednesday by RetuRO, the administrator of the Deposit-Return System.
Data for the first month of the year confirm the consolidation of the collection process, in a context where the volume of returned packaging can exceed that of packaging placed on the market during the same period, due to the return of previously purchased products.
In January 2026, approximately 356 million packaging items were collected, compared with around 330 million placed on the market, resulting in a return rate of roughly 108%. Such a result represents a normal seasonal variation, determined by the lag between the time of purchase and the time of returning the packaging, RetuRO notes.
'The Deposit-Return System continues to support Romania's transition towards a circular economy, encouraging millions of Romanians to adopt environmentally responsible behaviour,' the source highlighted.
RetuRO Deposit-Return System S.A. (www.returosgr.ro) operates on a not-for-profit basis, which means that any profit generated from the collection of beverage packaging is reinvested exclusively in the development of the DRS.
The company was established by a consortium of three private shareholders: the Romanian Brewers' Association for the Environment (30%), the Association of Soft Drink Producers for Sustainability (30%) and the Retailers' Association for the Environment (20%), alongside one public shareholder, the Romanian state, represented by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests (20%).
RetuRO, the administrator of the SGR, is entirely privately funded and is responsible for ensuring transparency regarding the quantities of beverage packaging placed on the market and returned by consumers, contributing to Romania's sustainable development through responsible management of packaging waste, in order to meet the recycling targets set for Romania by the European Union.
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