Two years after launch, SABON RECycle expands nationwide
SABON x RECICLAD’OR, together for a Romania that recycles more
SABON is expanding SABON RECycle, the project developed together with RECICLAD’OR, to all SABON stores across Romania, strengthening the public perception that people who consistently choose to do the right thing are true friends of the planet.
How it started: the Bucharest pilot
The SABON RECycle program began as a pilot: three stores in Bucharest, a simple mechanism — “1 container = 1 point” — and the belief that people can be motivated to recycle when given a meaningful cause.
Customers return their empty plastic and glass SABON containers, receive points convertible into vouchers, and the packaging is sent, through licensed operators, back into the recycling circuit. The enthusiasm shown by customers led to the program’s expansion to all nine SABON stores in the capital.
“At first, we didn’t expect such great success from a simple gesture of recycling an empty container in one of the three Bucharest stores where the project was launched,” explains Andrea Veress, Marketing Manager SABON Romania.
Two years later, the numbers speak for themselves and tell the story of a community that chose, bottle by bottle, to care for the planet.
“From April 2024 until now, over 20,000 plastic and glass containers have been collected and redirected to recycling, with a direct impact on reducing pollution, CO₂ emissions, and the consumption of new natural resources. For customers involved in the program, this translated into more than 800 vouchers generated from over 58,000 points,” adds Andrea Veress.
These figures represent, in fact, the initiative of every customer who chose not to throw away, but to return their empty packaging to the store. This simple gesture, repeated thousands of times, truly matters.
National expansion: 11 new collection points in 8 cities
The results from Bucharest convinced both SABON and RECICLAD’OR that this project deserves to expand nationwide this year, offering an extra chance for the environment wherever a SABON customer may be.
New collection points can be found in:
Brașov – AFI Brașov; Sibiu – Promenada Sibiu; Ploiești – AFI Ploiești and Ploiești Shopping City; Cluj-Napoca – Iulius Mall Cluj and VIVO Cluj; Galați – Shopping City Galați; Iași – Palas Iași; Timișoara – Iulius Town Timișoara; Suceava – Iulius Mall Suceava; Constanța – City Park Mall Constanța.
Why it matters: extended producer responsibility, at national scale
Beyond the numbers and the inspiring story, the expansion of SABON RECycle is a concrete example of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) put into practice: the brand truly assumes the full life cycle of the packaging it places on the market, and customers become active participants in this circuit. As European regulations on packaging and circular economy — such as PPWR — become increasingly strict, programs like this show that a legislative obligation can become an authentic brand story and a real reason for people to return to the store with joy.
For RECICLAD’OR, this project reinforces a belief they consistently promote in dialogue with partners: the circular economy works best when built together with people, not only behind the supply chain. And when a brand invites its customers to be part of the solution, the result is always greater than the sum of the numbers.
How the program works for customers
It’s simple, fast, and rewarding:
- Clean SABON product containers thoroughly after use and remove the labels.
- Bring the empty containers to any SABON store in the national network.
- Royal Passport members receive points convertible into a voucher, generated online or directly in-store, which can be used for future purchases.
About RECICLAD’OR
RECICLAD’OR is an Extended Producer Responsibility Implementation Organization (OIREP), offering companies environmental consultancy, packaging waste collection and recycling services, as well as education and compliance programs aligned with national and European circular economy legislation.
We believe the circular economy is not just a regulatory objective, but a responsibility we build every day alongside brands and people. Through projects like SABON RECycle, we support partner brands in designing and implementing efficient selective collection mechanisms, connecting them with local networks of licensed collection and recycling operators.
About SABON
SABON was born from a love for textures and fragrances, for the art of care and relaxation, for the joy of creating, and from the desire to offer people moments of calm and magic in an otherwise hectic life.
SABON means attention to the finest details of packaging, ingredients, and their combinations, along with a tireless commitment to protecting nature and the environment.
SABON fragrances envelop you irresistibly, becoming a second skin, part of your personality, and a meaningful form of personal expression.
#reUSE #reNEW #reCYCLE
