71% of people worldwide support Deposit Return Schemes (DRS), with trust at record highs, paving the way for circular systems that keep infinitely recyclable materials like drink cans in the loop.
● Romania is among the fastest DRS adopters, with 9 in 10 people participating and 77% supporting the system.
● 71% of Romanians feel personally responsible for recycling, the highest level globally.
● 75% of Romanians would recycle more if the process were fun or rewarding.
● Convenience matters: 41% of Romanians want a faster return process and 38% ask for more accessible return points.
Circularity is becoming part of the public mindset, according to the third wave of the international study commissioned by Every Can Counts, conducted across 16 countries and more than 16,000 participants (1,013 in Romania). Half of respondents associate circular packaging with being recycled back into the same type of product again and again (53% in Romania), and only 43% with being reusable (35% in Romania). At the same time, 57% define recyclable packaging as “designed for circularity,” showing that the concept resonates with consumers, while in Romania 65% see it in this way.
Perceptions of who is responsible for drink cans recycling vary sharply across markets. Consumer responsibility peaks in Romania (71%), Ireland (68%), and the UK and Greece (64%), but drops to just 35% in Poland.
However, 3 in 4 (75%) respondents from Romania (71% in the whole study) say they would be more likely to recycle if the experience were fun or interactive, with rewards, games, or apps that track and celebrate recycling, highlighting that engagement is the missing piece in waste management systems.
Meanwhile, 9 in 10 (91%) consider that manufacturers and brands should be required to use packaging that is infinitely/ fully recyclable or made from recycled materials.
“Circularity doesn’t have to be complex, infinitely recyclable and already widely collected, aluminium cans are proof that truly circular packaging is possible. What’s missing is awareness”, said David Van Heuverswyn, Global Director of Every Can Counts.
At the system level, Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) are the public’s chosen path to make circularity real. 71% of people around the world express support for DRS, with trust even higher, as 88% believe containers returned through these systems are effectively recycled.
The context is urgent: nine in ten people worldwide see plastic waste as a key environmental issue, on par with climate change. Yet this is not just an environmental sentiment, it’s a behavioural direction. The findings reveal that convenience and incentives are key to influencing change in recycling habits. 71% even support adjusting deposit fees by container size, showing a clear preference for fair, impactful solutions.
Romania Leads the Way in DRS Adoption and Aluminium Can Returns
In Ireland, Romania, Hungary, and the Netherlands, where DRS is already in place, 90% of people surveyed say they participate in DRS, showing how quickly the habit takes hold. Among non-DRS countries, support ranges from 58% in the USA to 86% in Serbia, with Brazil also high at 85%. In countries preparing legislation, such as Belgium and Greece, majorities back DRS but call for clearer information and simpler processes.
On the same note, in Romania, where the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) was introduced in late 2023, participation is already among the highest globally, with 9 in 10 people saying they take part in the system and 77% of respondents from Romania supporting the scheme.
A quicker or simpler return process is a key motivator for 41% of Romanians, while convenient return locations (closer or easier to access) are desired by 38% of respondents in Romania in order to recycle more.
According to RetuRo official data analysed by Every Can Counts, the national return rate for aluminium cans grew up to 82% in September 2025, with the recycling rate remaining steady at 75%, more than twice as high as in 2022, when European Commission figures showed only 35%.
“As sustainability – and even more specifically, environment protection – meets convenience, miracles happen: abstract concepts become natural little gestures within daily behavior. And then measurable impact occurs right away. It is the regulators and responsible parties’ predicament to “translate” big concepts into daily actionable actions. The deposit-return systems are excellent examples; we need to design more mechanisms that work”, said Raul Pop, Secretary of State, Romanian Ministry of Environment.
Baby Boomers Convinced, Gen Z Needs Convincing
Support for DRS rises steadily with age: 59% among Gen Z, 67% among Millennials, 74% among Gen X, and 80% among Baby Boomers. This suggests near consensus among older generations, while younger audiences see promise but want education and targeted engagement to build buy-in.
From Policy to Drink Packaging: Bridging the Awareness Gap
The study positions DRS as more than a collection mechanism, a bridge between consumer behaviour and true circularity, while revealing an awareness gap. Less than 2 in 10 respondents (17% across the study, 12% in Romania) identify aluminium drink cans as “the most recyclable” beverage packaging, despite the fact that the can is the most recycled beverage container in the world, with a 71% global recycling rate, compared with 34% for glass and 40% for PET (source: Eunomia Research & Consulting commissioned by IAI*). According to the same analysis, aluminium cans also have a 33% closed-loop recycling rate, the highest among single-use beverage containers.
“As DRS adoption expands, its high-quality, low-contamination collection will further increase aluminium’s recycling performance, keeping valuable material in circulation, enabling more drink cans to be recycled into new ones, and preventing the 29% still lost to landfill each year,” commented Alexandra Williams, Chair of Every Can Counts.
Aluminium drink cans are among the most sustainable forms of packaging and the most recycled beverage container worldwide. Each recycled can saves up to 95% of the energy needed to produce a new one from raw materials and can return to shelves within just 60 days. In Romania, regions with strong sustainability initiatives, such as Bucharest, Timiș, Cluj, Ilfov, and Constanța, lead national recycling rates. Through campaigns and creative public art projects like “I CAN” artworks, built entirely from cans by Romanian artist Sergiu Chihaia, Every Can Counts Romania brings the idea of circularity closer to people, turning recycling into a visible, engaging, and culturally relevant experience.
“The data show what we see at Every Can Counts every day: people do care, they just want to feel part of the change and understand why true recycling matters”, added David Van Heuverswyn. Deposit Return Schemes are the start, not the finish, and Every Can Counts is working across 21 countries to keep educating consumers about the remarkable sustainability credentials of the aluminium drink can”, added David Van Heuverswyn, Global Director of Every Can Counts.
Global Recycling Habits and Attitudes 2025, commissioned by Every Can Counts.
*Source: Eunomia Research & Consulting commissioned by IAI. Read the full study.
About Every Can Counts (ECC)
Established in 2009 in the UK, Every Can Counts is the leading international awareness programme dedicated to inspiring and empowering people to recycle their drink cans wherever they are — at home, at work, or on the go. Active in 21 countries across Europe, as well as Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States of America, the initiative celebrates the infinite recyclability and circular potential of every can recycled into a new one, turning everyday actions into lasting impact.
*This is a press release.
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