9 out of 10 Romanians say that they will return plastic, glass or metal packaging after the introduction of the Warranty-Return System

Romanians believe that the introduction of the Guarantee-Return System (SGR) at national level will lead to the adoption of more responsible habits among the population regarding the recycling of plastic, glass or metal packaging, according to a study conducted by the Beverage Producers Alliance, through Kantar Romania.

As a result, 9 out of 10 Romanians say they agree with the implementation of the Guarantee-Return System because they want it to be a solution that makes them more aware of the responsibility that each person has to protect the environment and keep it clean. .

“The study measured the way in which Romanians relate to waste management, especially the way in which their behavior will change with the implementation of the Guarantee-Return System. We estimate that approximately 6 billion packages are placed on the market in Romania every year and we are glad that there is a positive attitude from consumers for the introduction of such a measure. Thus, they will have a more accessible infrastructure for recycling plastic, metal or glass packaging, ”says Alice Nichita, representative of the Beverage Producers Alliance and President of the National Association for Soft Drinks.

The Guarantee-Return system is a system in which the consumer will pay a guarantee of 0.50 RON when buying a drink from a merchant. After emptying the package, the consumer will have to bring it to one of the return points organized by traders.

In exchange for the empty packaging, the consumer will receive back, on the spot, the amount of the guarantee initially paid. The system targets single-use primary packaging: glass, plastic or metal, with volumes between 0.1L and 3L.

“As beverage producers, we have assumed the requirements that the industry has as part of the principle of Extended Producer Liability, and the implementation of the Guarantee-Return System is essential for Romania. Such a system has proven its effectiveness in other European countries, and the study shows that there is openness on the part of Romanians. We are glad that we are very close to having the legislative framework that will establish the rules of operation of a system that is a real solution to achieve the selective collection targets of our country, ” said Julia Leferman, representative of the Alliance of Beverage Producers and General Director of the Romanian Brewers Association.

The results of the study conducted by the Beverage Producers Alliance with the support of Kantar Romania also show us the main reasons why Romanians would recycle more often, the frequency and method of returning packaging, after the introduction of SGR, as follows:

• For 44% of respondents, the main reason for returning the packaging would be to protect the environment, 32% would return for a cleaner environment, and 10% mentioned as the main reason for returning the packaging that they are already recycling or support recycling;

• 59% of respondents say they would return the packaging once a week;

• 87% would be willing to return through automatic devices;

• 83% would return the packaging to the collection centers of convenience stores, and 81% to supermarkets and hypermarkets;

• 89% of respondents who have not recycled beverage packaging lately say they want to have collection centers near their homes, and 48% want to know what happens to returned packaging after they are picked up from collection points .

The study was conducted in September 2020 by the Beverage Producers Alliance, formed by the National Association of Soft Drink Producers and the Romanian Brewers Association, through Kantar Romania. During the study, 802 people were interviewed by the CATI method, at national level and 623 people from the urban area by the CAWI method. The sample consisted of male and female respondents aged 18-65, who bought at least one of the beverages of interest (beer, juice, bottled water, bottled wine or spirits) in the month prior to the study.