Romania’s aluminium can recycling rate reaches 80.5% in first nine months of 2026

Romania’s aluminium can recycling rate increased to 80.5 per cent in the first nine months of 2026, compared with 75 per cent in the same period last year, according to data published by RetuRO, the administrator of the country’s Deposit Return System (DRS), and analysed by Every Can Counts.

The number of aluminium cans returned between January and September was 6.3 per cent higher than in the corresponding period of 2025. The return rate also improved to 85 per cent from 82 per cent a year earlier.

Aluminium cans were the only packaging category to record growth in the first nine months of 2026, as the total number of deposit-bearing containers placed on the market declined by 2.4 per cent. The number of cans placed on the market increased by 2 per cent, while plastic and glass packaging both recorded declines.

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Cans accounted for 29 per cent of deposit-bearing containers placed on the market in the third quarter, maintaining the same share as in the previous quarter. They remained the second most common packaging type in the DRS, behind plastic and ahead of glass.

Recycling rate improves after summer

The recycling rate fell below 80 per cent during the summer months, when more cans were placed on the market, and returns took longer to reach recycling facilities. In September, the volume of cans entering recycling facilities exceeded the number placed on the market during the month. This included cans purchased during the summer period.

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The cumulative return rate rose from 80.9 per cent at the end of July to 85 per cent by the end of September, bringing the nine-month recycling rate to 80.5 per cent.

Anca Popa, Manager, Every Can Counts Romania, said, “For the aluminium can, the value of recycling is clearest when the same metal becomes a can again, and Romania's Deposit Return System provides the flow and logistics needed for closed-loop recycling.”

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Aluminium can be recycled repeatedly without losing its quality. Producing aluminium from recycled material requires up to 95 per cent less energy than manufacturing it from primary raw materials.

Can made from aluminium is the world's most recycled beverage container. Around three-quarters of all aluminium ever produced remains in use, highlighting the role of recycling in keeping the metal in circulation.