New obligations for companies and Romanian consumers regarding PET bottles

Business Forum

19 March, 2024 at 12:26 PM

After the implementation of the SGR system, new changes for plastic recycling are introduced in Romania: in less than 4 months, plastic beverage bottles must have their caps attached. Food containers for immediate consumption, such as coffee cups and food boxes, should also be made from sustainable materials, warns Green Environment Support, one of the country's largest environmental consultancy companies. Romania must take into account the new provisions in order not to risk sanctions.

Economic agents have to implement, according to Ordinance no. 6/2021 regarding the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, a series of measures, as part of the process of increasing the degree of recycling and reducing plastic packaging:

From 3 July 2024 containers of single-use plastic or composite materials containing drinks, with a capacity of up to 3 liters, must have the stopper attached to the bottle if it is made of plastic. Thus, the measure targets plastic bottles with any type of content, from water, carbonated drinks, and juices to alcoholic beverages.
From 2025 PET beverage bottles with a capacity of up to 3 liters must contain at least 25% recycled plastic.
Economic agents that place on the market plastic drink cups, including their lids or containers for food intended for immediate consumption, either on the spot or as a package, must make the transition to sustainable materials as part of the obligation to register every year a reducing the amount of plastic. For the year 2024, the reduction is 10% compared to the quantities of 2022, and by 2026 the percentage will reach 20% compared to the same reference year.

Plastic duties and taxes are increasing

"All the above information is integrated in a statement to the Environment Fund Administration that the companies concerned are required to prepare in February of each year for the previous year. Certain companies have already implemented the obligation to attach caps to bottles, and we will see drinks from a wide variety of brands in stores with the new cap attachment system before July 3rd. Also, economic agents are looking for alternatives for single-use plastic packaging as the obligations and taxes are more and more. Although Romania still does not recycle enough plastic, we will see an evolution, especially through the measures of the last year, including the return of bottles with the SGR logo, as well as the market demand for the use of recycled plastic in the composition of products", says Daniela Dobre, CEO of Green Environment Support.

Romania only recycles 30% of existing plastic, according to Eurostat data, still far from the objectives imposed by the EU. Thus, to meet the compliance deadline of 2025, imposed by the EU for recycling targets, a significant reduction in the amount of plastic will be observed from one year to another, and an increased interest from all economic agents for sustainable alternatives.

It is important to mention that in Romania the most recycled types of packaging waste are metal, with a share of 51.12%, and glass, with 42.67%. However, in terms of plastic packaging waste recycling, Romania ranks last in the European Union. In 2020, the recycling percentage of plastic packaging waste reached 39.87%, which represents a decrease of almost 5% compared to 2019, Eurostat data also show.

By comparison, the EU member states with the highest recycling rates of plastic packaging waste are Belgium at 79.2%, the Netherlands at 74.7% and Luxembourg at 71.9%, according to European Commission reports.