Reveal Marketing Research study: 82% of Romanians return all packaging with the SGR symbol, and 51% are mainly motivated by the recovery of the guarantee paid

Study no. 192 from Reveal Market Resources

The most recent study conducted by Reveal Marketing Research aimed to find out more details about the evolution of Romanians’ attitudes and behaviors regarding the Guarantee-Return System, compared to similar studies carried out in 2023 (measuring intentions before implementation) and 2024 (measuring Romanians’ behaviors), respectively.

• Currently, 82% of Romanians say they return all packaging marked with the SGR symbol, a percentage up 12% compared to last year.
• The proportion of Romanians who say that recovering the RON 0.50 guarantee is the main motivation for returning packaging is increasing, from 39% in 2024 to 51% in 2025.
• 36% of Romanians have changed their beverage buying habits as a result of the implementation of the SGR.
• Only 47% of Romanians are satisfied with the way the Guarantee-Return System works
• Romanians would recycle more through the SGR if there was an extensive network of return points (48%), a higher guarantee value (27%) or effective information and education campaigns (21%).

2 years after the implementation of the SGR, 82% of Romanians declare that they return all packaging with a guarantee to the collection points

According to the results of the study conducted by Reveal Marketing Research, 82% of Romanians say they return all packaging marked with the SGR symbol, a percentage up by 12% compared to June 2024 (70%).

Turning our attention to the frequency with which Romanians return the packaging with warranty, 34% bring it to the collection points once a week, 32% 2-3 times a week, and 18% once a month.

In addition, the results of the study show that plastic packaging with warranty is the most frequently returned by Romanians (72%), followed by glass packaging  (60%) and metal packaging  (51%). Depending on gender, men tend to return, to a significantly greater extent than women, all types of packaging to collection points.

Recovering money remains the main incentive: 1 in 2 Romanians return SGR packaging mainly to recover their guarantee

Regarding the main motivation behind the habit of returning packaging with the SGR symbol, a significant increase can  be seen from 39% (June 2024) to 51% (March 2025) among those who declare that recovering the money paid on the guarantee is the main incentive.

Men (55% compared to 47% in the case of women) and mature people aged 45-55 years (57% vs. 51% total sample) differ in that they attach significantly greater importance to recovering the guarantee from the purchase.

36% of Romanians have changed their beverage buying habits as a result of the implementation of the SGR

In November 2023, 44% of Romanians considered that they would not change their purchasing and consumption behavior of bottled beverages with the implementation of the Guarantee-Return System.

Currently, the percentage of those who say they have not changed their habits remains similar to last year (59%), with data indicating that Romanians have adapted quickly and better than expected to the new waste management system.

However, 36% of Romanians notice changes in the way they buy bottled beverages with the implementation of the SGR. Thus, 16% choose larger packaging, in order to pay the guarantee less times, while 10% buy less often, and 10% choose cheaper products on the shelf.

“The results of the study show a rapid adaptation of Romanians to the Guarantee-Return System, with an increasing percentage of those who return all packaging, mainly motivated by the recovery of the guarantee paid. At the same time, 36% of Romanians say that they have changed their purchasing behavior as a result of the implementation of the SGR. In this context, Customer Decision Journey studies can be a valuable tool for brands that want to better understand how these changes influence consumers’ purchasing criteria and decisions,” said Marius Luican, General Manager of Reveal Marketing Research.

1 out of 2 Romanians is dissatisfied with the way the Guarantee-Return System works

Only 47% of Romanians say they are satisfied or very satisfied with the way the Guarantee-Return System works.

Thus, in Romanians’ view, the main solutions identified to improve it are  increasing the number of return points (48%), higher value of the guarantee (27%) and information and education campaigns (21%).

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About Reveal Marketing Research

Reveal Marketing Research is a full-service market research company, specialized in marketing research, sociological studies, customer insight, business strategy, market development. With expertise in over 20 industries, Reveal Marketing Research believes that market research is the basis for the right decisions and brand positioning. Qualitative and quantitative solutions have been helping companies in Romania and other European countries for 16 years.

Reveal Market Resources, study no. 192: Reveal Market Resources is a data hub that includes free studies published in order to support the marketing and communication market in Romania.

Methodology: The Reveal Marketing Research study was conducted online between 17-25.03.2025 on a representative sample for the universe of people aged 18+, from urban and rural areas, internet users. The sample size was 1011 respondents, and the maximum sampling error is +/-3.1% at a 95% confidence level.