Draft law: Extension of the deposit-return system for new products in Romania

The recent legislative proposal aims to expand the deposit-return system (DRS) in Romania, including products such as jars, bottles, distilled water, and coffee. The former Minister of Environment, Fechet, stated that this project will bring the DRS into stores, facilitating the collection of these packages. An important novelty is the plan to include jars in the system starting from January 1, 2027, allowing consumers to return them at collection points. Fechet emphasized the efficiency of the current system, with a collection rate of over 90%, comparable to those in the European Union.

Additionally, the project proposes to extend the DRS to reusable packaging, allowing the reuse of bottles up to 50-60 times. The goal of this project is to make Romania cleaner, already highlighting the benefits of the deposit-return system.