• The first large-scale pilot project in Europe dedicated to the collection of cartons for soft drinks and dairy products will be launched by Tetra Pak and its partners in the cities of Bucharest and Brașov. The collection will be carried out through collection machines (RVMs) installed in selected Mega Image stores. For each returned package, consumers will receive a voucher worth 0,5 RON.
Bucharest, November 21, 2025 – Tetra Pak and Mega Image, in collaboration with partners Maspex, Tomra and Brai Cata, are launching in Romania the first project in Europe for the large-scale collection of cardboard packaging for soft drinks and dairy products, carried out through collection machines (RVMs).
Currently, carton packaging for soft drinks and dairy products is not part of dedicated collection and recycling systems in Central and Eastern Europe, and in Romania it does not benefit from specific reporting. At the moment, there are no official data on the quantities of carton packaging placed on the market and, implicitly, on those collected or recycled. This offers the opportunity to develop projects that complement the existing infrastructure. In Romania, carton packaging for soft drinks and dairy products is included in the general paper-board category, with a recycling target of 65% starting with 2025.
By focusing exclusively on this type of packaging, the pilot project aims to cover an important deficit in the current collection system in Romania, help form new return habits among consumers, and provide valuable information for improving the infrastructure and legislation regarding collection and recycling.
During the pilot project, Tetra Pak is committed to recovering carton packaging for soft drinks and dairy products from the market – regardless of brand or manufacturer – together with partners Mega Image, Maspex, Tomra and Brai Cata, whose involvement is essential for the success of the project. As a leader in sustainability, Tetra Pak takes responsibility for developing projects that support the collection and recycling of carton packaging and to provide support to all those involved in this process.
An important step towards sustainability
Thus, for the first time, residents of the cities of Brașov and Bucharest will have the opportunity to return these packages through the RVM machines installed in selected Mega Image stores, thus being able to valorize them and directly contribute to a cleaner environment. For each returned package, consumers will receive a voucher worth 0,5 RON, which they can use for shopping in the Mega Image network.
All cardboard packaging for beverages and dairy products, regardless of the producing company, with a maximum volume of up to 2 liters, which have been used for milk, vegetable drinks, juices, liquid cream or liquid whipped cream, are accepted in the collection machines.
To be accepted for return, packages must be emptied of liquid, clean, not pressed or crushed, with a visible and legible barcode, and with the lid attached to the package.
“This project is a valuable private initiative, which gives us the opportunity to obtain specific information on the collection and recycling of beverage and dairy cartons, to understand the real benefits and challenges, and to observe firsthand how consumers react. It is a level of information that we have not had before in similar projects. We need such concrete projects, and the expertise of the companies involved is essential to identify functional solutions. The collaboration model presented today can form the basis of an efficient legislative framework and can transform Romania into an example of best practices in the region, demonstrating that innovation and partnership can transform packaging into valuable resources and support a cleaner environment.” – Diana Buzoianu, Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests
“The launch of this pilot project in Romania represents an important step for Tetra Pak in our efforts to improve and develop the recycling process of carton packaging for soft drinks and dairy products. Through this pilot project, unique in Europe, we will have the opportunity for the first time to obtain concrete data, to test the efficiency of the return process, technical and logistical performance, as well as to analyze consumer behavior. We want to demonstrate that carton packaging for soft drinks and dairy products can be recycled efficiently, when the right infrastructure is in place. Ultimately, we will be able to ensure full traceability and transparent reporting, from collection to recycling.” - Ștefan Urziceanu, Sustainability Manager, Tetra Pak Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Moldova.
Under the pilot project in Romania, consumers will be able to return cardboard packaging for beverages and dairy products to six Mega Image stores in Brașov and one in Bucharest, directly contributing to collection efforts, creating cleaner spaces and greener cities. The main objective is to collect one million packages on the Romanian market in the 8 months of operation of the project, after which the data will be analyzed, the results will be presented and the next steps will be established for a possible maintenance or expansion of the collection network.
A partnership for a cleaner future
"We, Mega Image, have a mission to do good for the world around us and to actively contribute to a cleaner and more responsible future for the communities we are part of. The partnership with Tetra Pak, Maspex, Tomra and Brai Cata represents a further step we are taking towards building a modern collection and recycling infrastructure for beverage and dairy carton packaging. By installing collection machines in a selection of our stores, we offer customers a quick, simple and transparent solution to return their carton packaging and be an active part of the circular economy. We believe that real change comes when retailers, producers and consumers get involved together, and this project demonstrates exactly this collaboration, which will certainly have a positive impact and which can be adopted on a large scale." – Alina Vlădoianu Teau – Vice President Legal, Public Affairs, Quality & Sustainability Mega Image
"Maspex Romania, through its beverage brands such as Tymbark, Bucovina or Tedi, has been one of the promoters of improving the framework in which packaging waste management is implemented in Romania. We believe that an effective solution must also be found for products that reach consumers in cardboard packaging so that they can be easily collected and then recycled. The project launched today allows testing consumers' interest in returning cardboard packaging, after they have demonstrated, in the last year, that we can have a cleaner country, without packaging that is improperly discarded." - Grzegorz Grabowski, CEO Maspex Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Moldova
While the immediate focus is on launching and effectively operating this pilot collection network for beverage and dairy cartons, the long-term goal is to demonstrate that this type of packaging can be recycled effectively, on a large scale, when the appropriate infrastructure is in place.
High-quality packaging
Tetra Pak packaging is a valuable source of recycled raw materials. Approximately 70% of their composition is sustainably sourced cardboard from FSC certified sources, the rest being mainly polymer (polyethylene), the material from which the outer layer of the packaging – for moisture protection – and the lid are made. The cardboard is what ensures the strength and structure of the packaging.
Inside the aseptic packaging (without microbiological contamination), a thin layer of PolyAl (polyethylene + aluminum) protects the contents against light, oxygen and harmful microorganisms, preserving the quality of the products for longer, without the need for refrigeration or preservatives.
Cardboard packaging for beverages and dairy products is sorted and recycled, and the resulting materials are transformed into new products. The recycled cardboard is used to produce new packaging (e.g. cardboard boxes), napkins or paper bags. The PolyAl layer is processed separately from the cardboard and converted into granules, which become raw material for the manufacture of other products, such as pallets, shipping crates, garden pots or even car components. For example, the new Fiat Grande Panda includes interior elements made of PolyAl – the center console, dashboard and door panels.
PolyAl is also used in the manufacture of modern, lightweight and durable furniture – such as that in some Tetra Pak offices in Europe – but also in construction, being ideal, for example, for resistant, lightweight roof tiles with excellent sound insulation.
Beverage and dairy cardboard packaging collection network. List of Mega Image stores
• Bucharest:
Mega Image SOUTH MARKET – South Market, Olteniței Street no. 208, sector 4;
• Brasov:
Mega Image BRAN, 36 BIS Branului Street, Zărnești, Brașov County;
Mega Image CARPAȚILOR, 60 Carpaților Street, Brașov, Brașov County;
Mega Image HĂRMAN, 667 Garii Street, Hărman, Brașov County;
Mega Image BUCHAREST ROAD, 2A Berzei Street, Brașov, Brașov County;
Mega Image ZIZIN, 65 Zizinului Street, Brașov, Brașov County;
Mega Image LUNII, 6 Lunii Street, Brașov
About Tetra Pak
Tetra Pak is a global leader in food processing and packaging solutions. Together with our customers and suppliers, we ensure access to safe and nutritious food for hundreds of millions of people in over 160 countries every day.
With over 24.000 employees worldwide, we are dedicated to the mission of providing safe and affordable food anywhere in the world, staying true to our commitment to protecting what matters: food, people and the planet.
More information about Tetra Pak is available at: www.tetrapak.com.
Article source: Tetra Pak Press Release
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