Between September 27 and October 3, 2023, for every PET container, glass or aluminum can brought to one of Kaufland's separate collection machines, customers received €0.1 in the form of a value voucher. The coupons issued by the device can be used in any Kaufland store until October 10, to pay for transactions with a minimum higher than the value of the voucher.

The "Recycling Week" initiative took place in parallel with the weekly offer from the "Recycle and Save" campaign. Thus, for every five containers deposited in the machine, customers received a coupon for an extra 10% discount on a product in the category of chocolate tablets, valid between September 27 and October 3, 2023. To be accepted by the machine, it is important that all containers inserted must be empty, as clean as possible, and undamaged.

"The results of the "Recycling Week" campaign demonstrate that Romanians are eager to recycle and receptive to initiatives that offer them an incentive. In just one week, we achieved the feat of collecting more than 11.2 million containers, which is the equivalent of 75% of the 15 million collected in 2022. It is important to remember that the devices have a limited storage capacity". said Valer Hancaș, Director of Communication and Corporate Affairs Kaufland Romania.

In 2021, Kaufland became the first retailer in Romania with a recycling system available in every store. Currently, 343 automatic collection machines serve the customers of the 169 hypermarkets in the country, the retailer having planned investments of €7 million for the efficiency and expansion of this system. Of this amount, over €260,000 has already been allocated for the purchase of the largest separate collection equipment in Romania, located at the Kaufland Barbu Văcărescu store.

Through the "Recycling Week" campaign, the company aimed to familiarize Romanians with the Guarantee-Return System and the solutions offered by Kaufland, so that the return of packaging is simple and fast, to be integrated into the daily routine of citizens.

On a logistical level, the implementation of the system in Kaufland stores was a complex process that took about three years. One of the priorities and challenges encountered is to identify specialized partners who can manage glass waste, a single container weighing up to 300 kg. The Guarantee-Return System in Romania will be the largest in Southeast Europe, and the proper functioning of the project requires a well-defined logistics network and close collaborations with partners.