ECO-RET MOLDOVA will manage the Packaging Deposit System
The Public Association "ECO-RET MOLDOVA" will be appointed as the administrator of the Packaging Deposit System. This decision is set to be approved at the government meeting on Wednesday, May 20. Once approved, it will pave the way for the launch of the system that financially incentivizes citizens to return plastic, glass, or metal beverage containers.
The evaluation committee has selected the association "ECO-RET MOLDOVA" to administer the Packaging Deposit System, choosing it from two submitted applications. The other applicant, the Public Association "MOLDRETURO", did not meet the eligibility requirements.
The launch of the Packaging Deposit System will create a network of collection points in large stores and other easily accessible locations, where individuals can return packaging in exchange for the deposit included in the cost of the beverages.
The deposit will be applicable to drinks sold in glass, plastic, or aluminum containers, and consumers will receive a refund of at least two lei for each returned container.
The collected packaging will be sorted, recycled, or reused, helping reduce pollution and the amount of waste discarded in nature.
Economist Veaceslav Ioniță noted that in 2015, nearly 90 million containers were imported into the Republic of Moldova, with a significant portion disposed of irresponsibly. Over the past decade, this number has steadily increased to approximately 290 million imported containers by 2025. Additionally, around 230 million packages from domestic beverage production will be added to this total.
Without an effective collection system, these containers typically end up in landfills, polluting the environment, as the expert highlighted. Estimates suggest that if the Packaging Deposit System introduced by the Government operates at full capacity, the annual circulation of money through this mechanism could reach approximately one billion lei.
We remind you that the Government of the Republic of Moldova approved the launch of the Packaging Deposit System on June 18, 2025.
