How can Romania’s experience with the Deposit-Return System be leveraged in terms of the responsible management of packaging waste?

Romania’s experience shows that European ambition in the field of the circular economy can become an operational reality when there is cooperation among producers, authorities, retailers, and consumers. With more than 8.5 billion packages returned by the end of 2025 and a return rate of approximately 80%, the DRS is not only an efficient mechanism for recovering beverage packaging, but also proof that producers can play an active and concrete role in the green transition.

At the same time, this experience shows us that the performance of such a system depends on a clear framework of rules, economic predictability, and recognition of the real contribution of each actor involved. We are talking about the largest fully integrated DRS, organised on a not-for-profit basis. That is why it is essential that all participants in the system take this into account and act in good faith, so that the mechanism functions efficiently and achieves its long-term objectives. All the more so since its experience has already begun to inspire other states, including the Republic of Moldova and other neighbouring countries.

In the context in which the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which entered into force in February 2025 and will apply from August 2026, provides that the implementation of deposit-return systems is an option for EU Member States where targets cannot be reached through alternative methods, Romania has the opportunity to offer concrete lessons. But for this example to be truly credible, we must speak not only about the results, but also about the challenges encountered and the way in which they were managed.

What role did ARAM and beverage producers play in building and consolidating this system?

ARAM and its members, especially beverage producers, supported the development of the system starting from the stage preceding its launch, in 2023. This support meant consistent compliance efforts, investments in the infrastructure required for marking and reporting, as well as active participation in public policy dialogue.

Today, thanks to this involvement, Romania can speak about the DRS not only from a theoretical perspective, but from the position of an actor with demonstrated practical experience. It is an important position, including at European level, at a time when more and more states are preparing to implement similar systems.

However, the success of the DRS belongs to everyone who contributed to its functioning: the system’s shareholders — producers, retailers, and the state — but also consumers, who responded positively and adopted environmentally responsible behaviour.

Without the active participation of citizens, no institutional or logistical architecture would be sufficient. That is why the DRS shows that, at the level of society as a whole, the responsible management of packaging waste and the achievement of recycling targets are possible when there is a common and consistent effort.

Under what conditions can such a system remain sustainable in the long term?

Long-term sustainability depends, first and foremost, on the clarity of the rules and the stability of the operating framework. Secondly, cost predictability is needed, in a broader context of fiscal stability and macroeconomic balance. Thirdly, it is essential to recognise the real contribution of producers and of all actors involved in the proper functioning of the system. At the same time, it is important to note that the system has functioned well and, in many respects, has even exceeded expectations in its first years of operation, without this meaning that it has already reached full maturity.

In other words, today’s performance must be consolidated through a framework that allows investment, planning, and adaptation. There are still adjustments to be made in the way the system functions, and 2026 will be a demanding year if we look at the targets undertaken and the need to maintain performance as the system approaches its maximum potential. Any packaging recovery system needs time to mature, mechanisms that can be fine-tuned, and a stable environment in order to fully achieve its objectives.

At this stage, what should be the priority: expanding the DRS or consolidating the current system?

The priority must be, first and foremost, to consolidate the current system and achieve the return objectives set for the third full calendar year of operation. There are still adjustments to be made, and the DRS is still far from reaching cruising speed. We need to allow it time to stabilise and fine-tune its mechanisms, and I would say that it is premature to talk about expanding it.

On the other hand, looking ahead, we can remain open and prepared to discuss and thoroughly analyse any proposals regarding possible expansion opportunities, allocating the necessary time properly, since this is normally a lengthy process when done rigorously.

What is the position of small and medium-sized producers regarding possible changes to the system?

In general, small and medium-sized producers welcome the existence of the system and acknowledge its benefits, but they ask for simplicity and stability. For these actors, it is important that the system should not be made more complicated before it reaches maturity and before it fully achieves its objectives.

There is also the legitimate observation that implementation in Romania is more complex than in other countries, including because it involves the simultaneous management of three types of materials. That is why the reasonable position is to allow the system the time it needs to settle, deliver the targets imposed by the legislator, and subsequently be simplified and optimised, rather than prematurely burdened with new obligations or new product categories.

What would, concretely, be the right direction for the period ahead?

The right direction is a balanced one: maintaining the current system, avoiding its unnecessary complication, and gradually improving operational performance. This means more return points where needed, more efficient collaboration with partners in the value chain, better data reporting, and constant attention to the economic sustainability of the system. In 2026, the key will be close cooperation among the system’s shareholders, authorities, and market operators, so that the good results achieved so far can be consolidated.

Before introducing new materials, new products, or new objectives, it is essential that the existing system should function at optimal parameters and be able to achieve the return targets of 90% / 85%, while at the same time contributing to the overall recycling objectives. We remain open to collaboration with the authorities and all relevant partners in order to support legislative solutions that are efficient from an environmental standpoint and sustainable from an economic standpoint, while at the same time keeping an open mind regarding possible expansion opportunities, once the system is sufficiently mature.