Any company that places packaged products on the Romanian market is responsible for recycling the packaging once it becomes post-consumer packaging waste.
An OIREP (Organisation Implementing Extended Producer Responsibility obligations) is an organisation authorised by the Ministry of Environment that takes over, by contract, companies' packaging recycling obligations. The company reports its quantities and pays a fee per tonne. The OIREP finances collection and recycling and answers to the Environmental Fund Administration (AFM) for meeting the recycling targets.
At European level, this principle is called extended producer responsibility (EPR). In Romania, it is implemented through OIREPs: organisations authorised by the state authorities, with annual approvals granted on the basis of their recorded performance.
The term OTR (responsibility transfer organisation) is the old one. Since 2018, the law uses OIREP, with stricter authorisation and control rules.
The role of an OIREP is easiest to see if you follow the packaging from three angles: material, funding and paperwork.
You place the packaged product on the market. From this moment on, you have obligations for its packaging.
The consumer uses the product, and the packaging becomes waste.
The waste is collected separately, from households and from businesses.
Materials are sorted and prepared for recycling: paper, plastic, glass, metal, wood.
The waste becomes secondary raw material.
It is turned into new packaging and products. The cycle closes.
The obligation does not depend on company size. An online shop that ships 100 parcels a month has the same obligations as a national manufacturer.
You'll instantly see whether you have packaging obligations.
The DRS exception: single-use primary beverage packaging made of glass, plastic or metal (bottles, PET bottles, cans) between 0.1 and 3 litres falls under the Deposit-Return System run by RetuRo (Government Decision 1074/2021). Consumers pay a 0.50 lei deposit on it, and your reporting and obligations for it go to RetuRo, not to an OIREP. However, the secondary and tertiary packaging of the same products (multipacks, film, shipping boxes) remains your extended responsibility and is managed through an OIREP.
If you don't have a contract with an OIREP, you will have to pay a penalty of 2 lei for every kg of packaging for which the recycling targets were not met. Enter your annual quantities and see the difference.
Indicative estimate, excluding VAT. AFM contribution = Σ (quantity per material × 2026–2030 recycling target × 2 lei/kg). Reciclad'OR cost = Σ (quantity per material × rate per tonne). Rates are the published ones, valid from 1 January 2026; the final offer depends on your packaging structure. See all rates
For waste generated by your own activity, you need a contract with an authorised collector.
The AFM return is filed from the company's own account. We check the data so it is correct and submitted on time.
Environmental consulting, CO₂ emissions calculation, CSR programmes and consumer education. See our services
The authorisation is only the minimum requirement. The difference shows after signing, especially at the first inspection.
| Criterion | What to ask | Reciclad'OR's answer |
|---|---|---|
| Track record | Since when has it been authorised, and has it been re-approved every year? | OIREP authorised since 2017, approved annually by the Ministry of Environment |
| Results | Has it met its targets every year? For what volumes? | 100% of targets met, 2.07 billion kg of packaging waste managed cumulatively (2018–2026) |
| Network | How many collectors and recyclers does it work with, and where? | 270+ partner operators, nationwide coverage |
| Traceability | Can it document the path of every tonne? | Permanent access to data, full traceability |
| Reporting | Is reporting done by email and Excel, or on a dedicated platform? | Own online reporting platform |
| Rates | Are they public and clear, for each material? | Published rates, by material and by flow. See the rates |
| Beyond the law | Does it offer support for PPWR, CSRD, education and CSR? | Consulting, Yvora for PPWR, e-Reciclare, CSR programmes |
The packaging law: who is responsible, the two ways to comply (individually or through an OIREP) and the minimum targets by material.
The Environmental Fund: the 2 lei/kg contribution for the shortfall against the recycling target, and the monthly return, due by the 25th.
The procedure for authorising and annually approving OIREPs.
The new European framework for packaging, directly applicable from 12 August 2026.
All legislation, kept up to date →
Extended producer responsibility: you remain responsible for the packaging after the product is sold.
The Environmental Fund Administration: receives the returns, collects the contributions and carries out inspections.
The share of packaging placed on the market that must be recycled, set for each material.
The packaging the product is sold in / the packaging that groups several products / transport packaging (pallets, film).
The Deposit-Return System for beverage packaging (SGR in Romanian), run by RetuRo.
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, (EU) 2025/40.
OIREP stands for Organisation Implementing Extended Producer Responsibility obligations (in Romanian: Organizație care Implementează obligațiile privind Răspunderea Extinsă a Producătorului). It is an organisation authorised by the Ministry of Environment that takes over, by contract, the recycling obligations of companies that place packaging on the market.
OTR (responsibility transfer organisation) is the old name. Since 2018, the law uses the term OIREP, with stricter authorisation criteria, financial guarantees and annual approval based on results.
Legally, yes. In practice, you have to prove the recycling of each material with contracts and documents from collectors and recyclers, and you are directly liable at inspection. For most companies, transferring the responsibility to an OIREP costs less and reduces the risk.
You owe the AFM 2 lei for every kilogram of packaging for which the recycling targets were not met, plus interest, late-payment charges and fines. Inspections can go back several years.
Yes. The obligation does not depend on turnover, but on the fact that you place packaging on the market. The boxes, film and filling in the parcels you ship are packaging placed on the market by you.
Primary beverage packaging covered by the DRS (bottles, PET bottles and cans between 0.1 and 3 litres, with a deposit) is managed through RetuRo. The secondary and tertiary packaging of the same products (multipacks, film, boxes) remains your responsibility and is managed through an OIREP.
The fee is calculated per tonne and per material, and differs for packaging that reaches households and for commercial and industrial packaging. Reciclad'OR's rates are public: for example, 420–525 lei/tonne for paper and cardboard. For the same material, the AFM contribution can reach 1,500 lei/tonne. See all rates
Regulation (EU) 2025/40 has applied directly since 12 August 2026 and adds to the obligations under Law 249/2015 rather than replacing them. From that date, every piece of packaging placed on the market needs technical documentation (Annex VII) and a Declaration of Conformity (Annex VIII), kept for 5 years for single-use packaging and 10 years for reusable packaging. The PFAS restriction for food-contact packaging and the 100 mg/kg limit for heavy metals also take effect now, and online platforms check whether sellers meet their EPR obligations. Next, in stages: design-for-recycling and minimisation criteria (2027), harmonised labelling with a QR code (August 2028), reuse targets (2029), minimum recycled plastic content and a ban on packaging below recyclability grade C (2030). Your obligations towards the OIREP and the AFM remain in force. You can generate your PPWR documentation in Yvora.
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