The government does not postpone the date of operationalization of the SGR

The Minister of the Environment, Mircea Fechet, rejected, yesterday, the RetuRO company's request to postpone the entry into operation of the Return Guarantee System (SGR), which aims to pay a guarantee of 50 money when we buy a drink from a merchant.

Mircea Fechet said: "My position is clear and very firm and I made the decision together with the prime minister and other ministers, and the deadline of November 30, 2023 remains the deadline when the guarantee-return system will start in Romania. The term is not negotiable. I understand the concern of the industry, but I also understand the interest of the citizens, to live in a cleaner world, without PETs".

The Minister of the Environment specified that the industry requested this postponement, because it has not done everything it should have done so far, so that the system will be ready on time. He recalled that the SGR system was supposed to come into effect on January 1, 2021, then it was delayed to October 1, 2022, and then postponed to November 30, 2023.

"We don't deviate a single millimeter from the sheet along the way. A country cannot be built from delays and we cannot perpetuate this system of delays. The industry had five years, starting in 2018, to prepare for the entry into force of this system. We have legislation that spells out extended producer responsibility very well and whether you're a small traditional drinks producer or you're the biggest drinks company in the world, the onus on packaging management is yours and I expect there to be compliance with the legislation in force", said Minister Mircea Fechet.

RetuRO, the company created to administer the SGR system, requested on Wednesday the Ministry of the Environment to extend by at least three months the deadline for putting the Return Guarantee System (SGR) into operation. Among the reasons cited is the public's lack of essential knowledge in understanding how the system works.

The SGR will apply to non-reusable primary packaging made of glass, plastic or metal, with volumes between 0.1 l and 3 l inclusive. After emptying the packaging, the consumer will bring it to one of the return points organized by the merchants. In exchange for the empty packaging, the consumer will receive back, on the spot, the value of the initially paid guarantee, without being conditioned by the presentation of the tax receipt.