Romania’s bag-based recycling solution IZI collects 1 million containers monthly

Romania’s bag-based recycling solution IZI has exceeded 1 million deposit-return containers processed per month. The milestone came after the company collected its first million containers over its initial six months of operation.

IZI collects PET bottles, glass bottles, and cans covered by Romania’s deposit-return system. Users can place multiple containers in a bag and leave it at an IZI collection point instead of inserting each item individually into a reverse vending machine.

The company currently operates 27 return centers across five Romanian cities: Iași, Botoșani, Suceava, Dumbrăveni, and Dorohoi.

The number of users registered in the IZI application has doubled over the past four months to 24,000. The network now records more than 35,000 bag deposits each month, equivalent to the total number registered during the project’s first six months, the company said.

Moreover, IZI also said that 90% of people who had used the system returned to make another deposit in subsequent months.

“The fact that we managed to achieve in a single month the results previously recorded over six months is an important accomplishment for the team, but above all proof of the trust and validation received from our 24,000 users,” founder Ștefan Parascanu said.

“We understood that Romanians want to recycle, and when we offer them a clean, simple, and hassle-free tool, the response comes quickly and decisively,” he added.

To use the system, customers scan a QR code through the IZI mobile application, attach the automatically printed label to a bag filled with eligible containers, and leave it at the collection point. The deposit refunds are transferred to their linked bank cards in approximately 24 hours.

Ștefan Parascanu said the company would continue expanding its network, without providing details about future locations or a timetable.

(Photo source: IZI)