Romania has made a remarkable turnaround in its waste management, thanks to a deposit return scheme (DRS) that has become incredibly popular among citizens. The system, launched two years ago, requires customers to pay an extra 0.50 Romanian leu per bottle or can and receive the money back when returning the packaging at designated collection points.
For many Romanians, like Dana Chitucescu, a 51-year-old woman from Pianu de Jos village, the DRS has become an integral part of their daily routine. Chitucescu takes her empty bottles to her local shop every week, where she earns around 40 leu per trip, enough to cover food for her seven cats. "It's a great system, everyone in our village uses it, and there's always a queue at the shop," she said.
The DRS has seen a remarkable increase in recycling rates, with beverage-packaging collection and recycling skyrocketing to as high as 94% in some months. According to RetuRO, the company running the scheme, Romanians have returned over 7.5 billion beverage containers since its launch, including 4 billion PET bottles, 2 billion metal cans, and 1.5 billion glass containers.
The country's recycling rate has improved significantly since the DRS was introduced in 2023. In 2021, Romania ranked last in the EU for circular material usage, with only 1% of materials being recycled and reintroduced into the economy. However, thanks to the success of the DRS, Romania has become a policy model abroad.
The system's chief executive, Gemma Webb, attributes its success to the use of modern software and traceability tools. "It is a zero-to-hero story," she said. "The products are clean, there is little contamination, they can be recycled easily, and we have full traceability."
However, environmental groups argue that the DRS only covers a small slice of the country's overall waste stream. Re-use and re-circulation of packaging need to be prioritized to create a truly circular economy. "Collection solves the problem of visible waste, but re-use changes its nature," said Elena Rastei of Zero Waste Romania.
Despite these criticisms, Chitucescu is thrilled with the impact of the DRS on her community. When heavy rain falls, bottles are no longer swept into streams, and the streets are free of litter. Her brother from Spain even expressed envy about the system, saying it's one of the few things Romania does exceptionally well.
As the country continues to implement its DRS and expand its recycling efforts, it remains to be seen whether other countries will follow in Romania's footsteps. One thing is certain: the success of the deposit return scheme has brought significant improvements to waste management in Romania and serves as a model for others to learn from.
For many Romanians, like Dana Chitucescu, a 51-year-old woman from Pianu de Jos village, the DRS has become an integral part of their daily routine. Chitucescu takes her empty bottles to her local shop every week, where she earns around 40 leu per trip, enough to cover food for her seven cats. "It's a great system, everyone in our village uses it, and there's always a queue at the shop," she said.
The DRS has seen a remarkable increase in recycling rates, with beverage-packaging collection and recycling skyrocketing to as high as 94% in some months. According to RetuRO, the company running the scheme, Romanians have returned over 7.5 billion beverage containers since its launch, including 4 billion PET bottles, 2 billion metal cans, and 1.5 billion glass containers.
The country's recycling rate has improved significantly since the DRS was introduced in 2023. In 2021, Romania ranked last in the EU for circular material usage, with only 1% of materials being recycled and reintroduced into the economy. However, thanks to the success of the DRS, Romania has become a policy model abroad.
The system's chief executive, Gemma Webb, attributes its success to the use of modern software and traceability tools. "It is a zero-to-hero story," she said. "The products are clean, there is little contamination, they can be recycled easily, and we have full traceability."
However, environmental groups argue that the DRS only covers a small slice of the country's overall waste stream. Re-use and re-circulation of packaging need to be prioritized to create a truly circular economy. "Collection solves the problem of visible waste, but re-use changes its nature," said Elena Rastei of Zero Waste Romania.
Despite these criticisms, Chitucescu is thrilled with the impact of the DRS on her community. When heavy rain falls, bottles are no longer swept into streams, and the streets are free of litter. Her brother from Spain even expressed envy about the system, saying it's one of the few things Romania does exceptionally well.
As the country continues to implement its DRS and expand its recycling efforts, it remains to be seen whether other countries will follow in Romania's footsteps. One thing is certain: the success of the deposit return scheme has brought significant improvements to waste management in Romania and serves as a model for others to learn from.
. I mean, who needs the EU's circular material usage rankings when you've got cats to feed and a tidy village? 
But seriously, it's cool that they're making a difference with this deposit return scheme. It's like, one step at a time, right? 
And I love how Gemma Webb says it's a "zero-to-hero story". Like, yeah, it might be humble beginnings but hey, progress is progress 
!
- it's like, who needs a supermodel when you can have bottles paying for themselves? 
For real though, 94% recycling rate is straight fire 
, and I love that it's not just about collecting trash but also about creating a closed-loop system. The fact that Dana's getting enough money from her bottle returns to cover food for her cats is just the icing on the cake 
... or should I say, the cap on the soda can? 
, and Elena Rastei's point about re-use needs to be prioritized too - let's not forget about reducing waste in the first place! 
But overall, Romania's DRS is giving me all the feels 
... can we bring this system to my city ASAP? 
i mean who wouldn't want to recycle their bottles and cans back for some cash? 
. its great that she and others are speaking out about how much of a game changer this system is 
i just wish more countries would follow suit and prioritize re-use and re-circulation too 
and the fact that ordinary ppl like chitucescu are making a living off it is genius 
. and it's not just about the benjamins, too - reusing packaging is such an underrated concept 
. the only thing i'd say is that they need to expand it to other types of waste, but overall, romania's on fire 
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. Dana Chitucescu and her seven cats can live the good life thanks to this scheme! I'm seriously considering implementing something similar in my own community, but I guess we have a way to go before our recycling rates hit 94% 
. And what's with the criticism from environmental groups saying it doesn't cover enough of the waste stream? Like, come on guys - every little bit counts, right? This system is already making such a huge difference and I'm just here for it 
I mean, what other country can say they've got people lining up around the block to get their empty bottles back? 
!
romania finally figuring out how to do things right after years of being a mess. 94% recycling rate is impressive, but let's not forget about the other 6% that's still getting thrown away somewhere 
. But what about the rest of the waste stream? Are we just covering up bigger problems with a Band-Aid solution? 
! The DRS in Romania is like, totally revolutionizing their waste management game! I mean, who doesn't love getting paid for recycling, right? 
. And the stats are crazy: 94% recycling rate and over 7.5 billion containers returned! That's like, a huge step towards reducing waste and conserving resources 
I'm not surprised Romanians are crushing it with their recycling game 
. It's great to see some EU countries finally getting their act together on waste management. Maybe we can all learn from Romania's example 
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but I guess it's better than nothing. And kudos to Zero Waste Romania for pointing out the limitations of this system, re-use and re-circulation are definitely areas that need more attention 
️. That's a win in my book 
. My school even has a similar system in place for recycling our cans and bottles, and it's made such a difference in keeping our campus clean 
. And 94% recycling rate? That's mind-blowing