Currently, 82% of Romanians say they return all packaging marked with the SGR symbol, a percentage that has increased by 12% compared to last year, reveals the latest study conducted by Reveal Marketing Research, which aimed to find out more details about the evolution of Romanians’ attitudes and behaviors regarding the Guarantee-Return System, compared to similar studies conducted in 2023 (measuring intentions before implementation) and 2024 (measuring Romanians’ behaviors).

Around 36% of Romanians have changed their beverage purchasing habits as a result of the implementation of the SGR. Thus, 16% choose larger packaging, in order to pay the guarantee less often, 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 a growing percentage of those returning all packaging, motivated mainly by recovering the paid guarantee. 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’ criteria and purchasing decisions,” said Marius Luican, General Manager of Reveal Marketing Research.

Only 47% of Romanians are satisfied with the way the Guarantee-Return System works. Romanians would recycle more through the SGR if there were an extended network of return points (48%), a higher guarantee value (27%) or effective information and education campaigns (21%).

Turning our attention to the frequency with which Romanians return packaging with a guarantee, 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 a guarantee 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 the collection points.