“It is a well-known fact that the environment protection legislation can be extremely intricate and complex, a true challenge for many of the CEOs accustomed to the difficult interactions with the authorities, let alone for the regular citizen. But the lack of knowledge and understanding of the law cannot be used as an excuse to elude it. This is the point where Green Environment Support steps in to help the companies observe the legislation, hence 2022 was a very busy year for the consultancy company due to the many changes in the environment legislation”, according to the company.
This requested extra efforts to explain everything to its clients' level of understanding.
“These changes broadened our area of expertise and range of services. It is obvious that year after year the focus is shifting to the responsibilities the companies have towards the environment, as well as on the risks they take lest they observe the legislation. And this is a trend we can see gaining territory in 2023 as well”, says Daniela Dobre, CEO Green Environment Support.
Daniela Dobre believes the pandemic had a huge positive impact on the environment through the huge decrease in carbon emissions. Still, this benefit was by far counterweighed by the increase in the quantities of plastic derived from the protection gear used during the last years, that is masks and gloves, as well as by the medical waste resulting from the sanitary crisis.
„We want to have a relationship as tight as possible with our partners and this is the reason why, in 2022, we conducted a survey for their feedback to help us improve the quality of our activity. We also want to guide them in implementing correctly in their activity the rules and regulations changes occurred in the environment protection legislation, especially when it comes to the Deposit Return System (DRS) on which we have taken the stand repeatedly”, adds the CEO of the consultancy company.
More precisely, November 30th, 2023, is the date when the Deposit Return System – applicable to non-refillable packaging made of plastic, glass, and metal between 0.1 and 3 liters – becomes into force and this means a RON 0.5 deposit will be charged on purchase and paid back when the empty packaging is returned by the consumer.
The DRS is an environment protection instrument used by the authorities together with the representatives of producers and traders for improving the packaging collecting flow and increasing recycling rates as required by the European rules and regulations. This deposit is meant to be a stimulus for the consumer to be more involved in the recycling process.
Failing to observe the requirements of the Government Decision 1074/2021 referring to the registration in DRS – art. 3 aiming at producers, art. 5 at economic agents – will be sanctioned with fines between RON 20.000 and 40.000, underlines Daniela Dobre.
„It is very important that all companies concerned should put in the system the data required with the highest accuracy. Let us remind you that the data collected in this preliminary phase of the project is essential for the configuration of the system according to the real needs of the packaging collecting process in territory. The successful implementation of such a system depends on each of us, either producers, importers, traders, operators in the hospitality industry or just consumers”, recently stated Gemma Webb, CEO and President of the Board of Directors of ReturRO Sistem Garanție Returnare SA.
