Romanian retailers to set up PET collecting machines

Newsroom 12/11/2012 | 14:37

PET and can packaging will be collected in Romanian stores as retailers will start setting up machines for collecting PET bottles and aluminum cans. Those bringing in the waste will receive shopping vouchers worth RON 0.05 (5 bani) per unit.

The move is the result of an agreement to prevent further generation of packaging waste and to improve waste collection and recycling. The agreement was signed between recycling companies, retailers and the Environment Ministry.

According to Mediafax newswire, the recycling company will buy and offer the retailers the PET collecting machines. Retailers will cover the value of the vouchers with discounts for purchases made in the store. The Environment Ministry will eliminate the 16 percent income tax for receiving the packaging through collecting machines and will also eliminate the 3 percent tax for aluminum cans recovered through collecting machines.

The machines will be introduced directly, depending on each retailer and how fast agreements are closed with the recycling company.

One such machine costs EUR 20,000, said Constantin Damov, founder of industrial waste recycling park Green Group, quoted by Mediafax.

One similar pilot project was implemented in Pitesti, where a machine collected 60,086 PET bottles and 21,731 aluminum cans in a month, according to data provided by Green Group.