Romania’s Recycling Landscape Undergoes a Dramatic Change Over One Year

Quick Smiles:

• Romania’s deposit return scheme launched in 2023 by RetuRO has helped clear litter from streets.
• Ninety percent of Romanians have used the scheme, with 60% regularly returning empties and over 8 billion containers collected.
• Full traceability enables bottle-to-bottle recycling, returning half a million tonnes of high-grade materials and inspiring other nations.

Romania’s groundbreaking deposit return scheme, launched in 2023 by RetuRO, has transformed streets into litter-free zones in just one year.

This public-private partnership with retailers, producers, and the Environment Department charges a 0.50 leu deposit per bottle or can, refunded via in-store machines, with supermarkets even collecting during deliveries.

“You go to Romania now, you don’t see a bottle anywhere,” said RetuRO CEO Gemma Webb.

Embrace recycling magic and create a cleaner world for all!

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