Tag: packaging

  • The benefits and the challenges of the Guarantee-Return System

    The benefits and the challenges of the Guarantee-Return System


    Romania is still far from meeting the objectives set at the level of the EU. Moreover, Romania is far from complying with the European average percentage for the recycling of waste. As compared to the European average level of 50%, the level of recycling municipal waste stands at a mere 12% in Romania. It could be the main reason why Romania has decided to implement an ambitious Guarantee-Return System, (GRS) targeting primary non-reusable glass, plastic or metal packaging with a storage volume ranging from 0.1 to 3 liters included. The system has been implemented since November 30, following a minute preparation stage.



    According to Green Environment Support, a company specializing in environmental audit, consultancy and waste management, ” through the GRS project, Romania has the capacity to recycle a much bigger quantity of waste in the coming years, thus securing a recycling advantage of up to 80% and becoming a landmark of circular economy and a role model, to that end.”



    After Norway, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Iceland, Estonia, Slovakia, The Czech Republic, Latvia and Lithuania, Romania is the 11th country in Europe that has implemented such a system. “We all want the GRS system to turn Romania from the country of waste storage into the country of waste recycling”, says the Romanian Minister of the Environment, Waters and Forests, Mircea Fechet.



    “Taking into account the experience of other states that have initiated similar projects, we found out the first year is kind of difficult. In the first year, the system sort of settles in, it becomes more balanced, kind of, a bar code reading may be wrong, sometimes, some other time the equipment may be out of order, it may be disconnected from the supply source…It roughly takes a whole year for the system to become 100% functional, 100% operational. It is Romanias most important public-private partnership, it is Europes largest guarantee-return system, second only to the system in Germany, and for this reason I expect a good cooperation of all the actors involved in the entire process, ,but I also expect patience, as I am positive that in five years time, when we look back and find out we have a clean country, a country without plastic bottles, without waste, without packaging waste, we can say it was a very good idea, that of implementing this system. “



    Statistical data have revealed that every year, in Romania, there are roughly 116 kilograms of packaging, of waste, per capita. Of those, less than a half are being recycled. The GRS project targets 80,000 beverage traders who will have to implement facilities for the collection of the 7 billion pieces of reusable plastic packages resulting in one year alone. The principle of the system is a simple one: a guarantee of 50 bani ( around 10 Eurocents) is paid at the purchase of a given beverage (water, soft drinks, beer, cider, wine, spirits) from a trader, the sum of money what will be returned later. To be more specific, when the package is emptied, the consumer will have to bring it to one of the return points set up by the traders. The consumer will then receive, on the spot, the value of the guarantee, in cash, as a voucher or via card transfer. And that without having to produce the receipt, even if the given product was not purchased from that commercial unit. The products that are part of the system are marked with a specific logo.



    Minister Mircea Fechet once again:



    “Any shop will have to provide a collection point. The collection will be done automatically, if the shop considers the number of packages is big enough to account for such an expense, through an RVM, a Reverse Vending Machine, or manually. In other words, the seller, will also have two bags under the counter, one for glass and one for PETs packaging, most likely, mixed with aluminum doses and, whenever someone shows up to return suck a packaging, that particular seller will pay 0.50 bani for each packaging and will collects the packaging in bags, waiting for the RetuRO company to arrive and take the returned packaging away and compensate with the value of the guarantee, on one hand, and with a management fee. Which means that, a shop, smaller or bigger, with an automatic or a manual collection, will be compensated for this work that they do, that of collecting the packaging from individuals.”



    In its capacity of manager of the GRS system, RetuRO has announced it would open 17 dedicated centers in the coming year, where they will transport the beverage packaging collected from the tens of thousands of traders. The containers will be counted, sorted and prepared for transportation by the recycling companies, with the clear purpose of producing recycled raw material, to be used in the production of new beverage packaging.



    Romanian Minister Mircea Fechet once again:



    “If we look at the guarantee-return systems of other European countries, we can see that in Germany, for instance, we have 95% glass and 98% of aluminum cans. Now, we may not be able, from the very first time, to meet the percentages of Germany, however, beginning with the third year of functioning, the system should work according to the parameters that will have to stand at more than 90%. Which I think that, for Romania, it is a tremendous progress. “



    Apart from advantages, the implementation of the RGS system in Romania may also pose a series of challenges. In general, producers, importers and the big retailers have taken a series of pre-emptive measures capable of making such an implementation simpler. However, if we take the smaller businesses into account, the situation is different, in that the smaller businesses face the challenge of finding the area that will have to be dedicated for the collection of the returned packaging or the investment required for the purchase of the Reverse Vending Machines. In another move, the fraud risk does exist. Some of the consumers may try to overdo it, returning counterfeit packaging, which requires the implementation of proper security measures.




  • The deposit and return system at the start line

    The deposit and return system at the start line

    Romania is implementing a deposit and return
    scheme aimed at more efficiently recycling beverage containers. The scheme will
    be operational as of Thursday, with Romanians due to pay a 10-Eurocent deposit
    when buying a bottled beverage from a retailer. After they finish the drinks, consumers will have to drop
    off the containers to one of the return centres set up by retailers and will be
    refunded the deposit, without having to produce a receipt for the original
    purchase.


    Beverages will gradually start to have a deposit
    for container label in stores, the programme managers said, and only beverages
    carrying that label will require the payment of a deposit. When both types of containers are sold by
    a retailer at the same time, the deposit-carrying products must be indicated clearly
    and separately, so that consumers may be aware of the products for which they
    can be refunded their 10-Eurocent deposit.


    The environment
    minister, Mircea Fechet, estimates that in a few years’ time, Romania will
    improve its recycling rate significantly:


    Mircea Fechet: If we look at the present situation, we see
    the separate collection rate, and implicitly the recycling rate, is extremely
    low, 12% – 13%. If we look at the performance of the deposit and return schemes
    in other European countries, we can see that in Germany, for instance, this
    rate is 95% for glass bottles and 98% for aluminium cans. Now, maybe it will
    take some time for us to catch up with Germany, but starting with the 3rd
    year of operation the scheme should have performance parameters above 90%. Which
    I believe is an extraordinary progress for Romania.ˮ


    The environment
    minister also emphasised that this is the largest public-private partnership in
    Romania, and that Romania’s is the second-largest deposit and return scheme in
    Europe after the one in Germany. I expect not only good cooperation between
    all stakeholders, but also patience, because I am confident that in 5 years’
    time, when we see a clean country, a country free of plastic bottles and other packaging
    waste, we will be able to say that introducing this system was a very good
    idea,ˮ Mr. Fechet said.


    The company that manages the scheme estimates
    that by mid-2024 all beverages targeted
    by the deposit and return scheme will be found in stores in appropriately labelled
    containers. All retailers must set up return centres and sign agreements for container
    pick-up.


    The first container
    sorting centre in the integrated collection and recycling system was opened on
    Monday in Cluj County (north-west). Further centres will be opened in Timiş (west),
    Bacău (east) and Bucharest (south). (AMP)

  • January 2, 2023

    January 2, 2023

    SWIMMING The Romanian athlete David Popovici was awarded the best
    swimmer of the year 2022 title by the well-known website Swimswam.com. The
    peak of Popovici’s year came at the 2022 European Championships. There, he
    first took down Cesar Cielo’s super-suited world record time of 46.91 in the
    100 free, going 46.86. Then, he swam a 1:42.97 in the 200 free, becoming the
    third male to break 1:43 behind Paul Biedermann and Michael Phelps and the first
    to do so in a textile suit, the website says. David Popovici won the 100 and
    200 free at every major long course international meet that he competed at: the
    World Championships, the European Championships, the World Junior Championships,
    and the European Championships.


    RECYCLING
    All traders in Romania that sell bottled water, soft drinks or alcoholic drinks
    in plastic, glass or metal containers between 100 ml and 3 l are bound to
    register within 2 months on the platform of a guarantee-return system (SGR). Otherwise,
    they risk fines between EUR 4,000 and EUR 8,000. The authorities want the
    system to become operational at the end of November 2023. Shops will also have
    to arrange packaging return centres. The prices of drinks will include the
    roughly EUR 0.10 packaging guarantee, which consumers will collect when
    returning the bottles. Romania will thus have the second-largest return system in
    Europe, after Germany, the environment minister Tanczos Barna said recently.


    NATO
    Western countries must be prepared to provide long-term support to Ukraine as
    Russia shows no signs of relenting, NATO’s secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said.
    In an interview to the BBC, Stoltenberg saidmilitary
    support would ensure the survival of Ukraine as a sovereign country and force
    Russia to sit down and negotiate an end to the war. According to Jens Stoltenberg,
    Russia’s partial mobilisation programme, ordered in September, indicated that
    Moscow had no desire to end the war, and NATO must make sure that Ukraine stays
    in a strong position in the event of negotiation talks between the two sides.


    UKRAINE
    Russia last night carried on attacks on Ukraine using Iranian-made drones, and
    targeting the capital city in particular. Air raid alerts sounded for several
    hours, and local authorities say a young man was injured and several buildings
    damaged. This is the second consecutive night of heavy Russian missile attacks
    on Kyiv, after the massive one on New Year’s night. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian
    forces, which destroyed some of the drones, announced having caused substantial
    casualties among the Russian troops in Bakhmut, a small town in the east of the
    country which has been seeing heavy fighting for several months now. Apparently
    170 Russian troops were killed and at least 200 wounded. Moscow has not yet
    confirmed the losses, but said its recent attacks targeted buildings where the
    Ukrainians were reportedly producing drones.


    POPE
    Thousands of believers have gathered in Vatican to pay
    their respects to the former Pope Benedict XVI, who died on Saturday aged 95
    and whose body is lying in state at St Peter’s Basilica ahead of the funeral scheduled
    for Thursday. On Sunday Pope Francis paid tribute to his dearest predecessor,
    emphasising his sacrifices offered for the good of the Church. Benedict
    XVI, who announced his resignation from the papacy in 2013 on account of his
    ill health and age, was a highly praised theologian. The funeral will be
    presided over by Pope Francis, and it will be the first time in the 2,000-year
    long history of the Catholic Church that a Pope will be buried by his successor.


    BRAZIL
    Brazil’s new president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, was sworn in and vowed to rebuild
    the country together with the Brazilian people. For his 3rd term in
    office as president, Lula da Silva (77) announced plans to strengthen
    environment protection and curb famine. He criticised his far-right
    predecessor Jair Bolsonaro’s government, arguing
    that They emptied the resources for health, dismantled education, culture,
    science, and destroyed the environmental protections. Luiz Inacio Lula da
    Silva governed the country in 2003-2010, when he fought poverty through major
    social programmes. However, corruption had deepened during his previous terms
    in office, and da Silva himself served time for corruption and money
    laundering, although later on the Supreme Court ruled it a mistrial. (AMP)