Over 500,000 container return sessions take place daily through TOMRA reverse vending machines in Romania
TOMRA Collection Romania announced that it has reached a milestone in the country’s new deposit return system (DRS) for drink container recycling, reaching in a single day over 500,000 "consumer sessions" where recyclers return their containers to TOMRA reverse vending machines (RVMs).
Romania’s DRS was launched on 30 November 2023, with a 2024 target of collecting 65% of plastic, glass, and metal beverage containers sold for recycling. From 2026, this target will increase to 85% for glass containers and 90% for plastic and metal.
In January this year, the average daily number of consumer sessions for returning drink containers through TOMRA RVMs was 21,700. In June, the recorded daily average was 454,000. This demonstrated that interest and participation in the new DRS is constantly growing, with the beginning of July seeing over 500,000 consumer sessions to return beverage containers in a single day through TOMRA RVMs.
We are pleased to see more and more consumers returning beverage containers, showing that Romanians understand the benefits of collecting and recycling, significantly contributing to a cleaner environment. Each container returned in the DRS means one less container in our forests, rivers and streets.
"We are grateful to all our partners for their trust and for choosing TOMRA solutions for their return points," continued Dorin Mihai.
TOMRA Collection Romania reports that all its reverse vending machines installed nationwide comply with all specifications and standards imposed by the deposit return system administrator, RetuRO Sistem Garantie-Returnare.
An important specification required by RetuRO is that all collected containers must be compacted or crushed at the return point. As of 31 May 2024, the transition period with this requirement ended, and all RVMs that have been or will be installed must have the function to crush glass containers on site.
"TOMRA RVMs collect all types of containers under the specifications imposed by RetuRO. Compliance with these requirements is an important aspect for retailers, since getting the handling fee and the smooth operations related to DRS depend upon it," added Dorin Mihai.
TOMRA Collection Romania provides large, medium and small retailers with reverse vending machines to automate the return process and streamline collection for both consumers and store personnel. TOMRA RVMs are installed nationwide in all types of stores: hypermarkets, supermarkets, discount and cash and carry stores, small neighborhood stores, or village shops.
80% of the company's Romanian installations are in large retail chains, while 20% are found in independent stores and other types of return points. Identifying market needs, TOMRA Collection Romania offers retailers the necessary information for legal compliance with DRS requirements, as well as the support needed to organize return points.
We address retailers’ needs with solutions that include small-sized reverse vending machines with a footprint of just 0.6 square meters and modular systems suitable for return points with high volumes. We also ensure fast delivery and installation across the entire country and offer digital solutions to optimize the entire process. Through partners, we also provide flexible financing solutions.
About TOMRA Collection:
TOMRA Collection provides reverse vending machines for Clean Loop Recycling, to transform society’s habits and keep valuable resources in a continuous loop of use and reuse. The company’s solutions collect aluminum, plastic and glass beverage containers to be continually reused and recycled back into new bottles and cans. With approximately 85,000 installations across more than 60 markets, TOMRA reverse vending machines capture over 46 billion used bottles and cans each year. This reduces reliance on raw materials, and ensures fewer containers end up in our streets, oceans and landfills. TOMRA’s reverse vending machines, digital solutions and service make recycling easy for the industry, system owners, retailers and consumers to contribute to a world without waste. Visit our Reverse Vending pages on tomra.com, and follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.
TOMRA Collection is a division of TOMRA Group. Today, TOMRA is leading the resource revolution to transform how the planet’s resources are obtained, used and reused. The company’s other business divisions comprise TOMRA Food and TOMRA Recycling. The Group employs approximately 5,300 people globally and is publicly listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
