Every Can Counts Global Survey 2025: Circularity Gains Ground Globally, with Romania Among the Fastest DRS Adopters
71% of people worldwide support Deposit Return Schemes (DRS), with trust at record highs, paving the way for circular systems that keep infinitely recyclable materials like drink cans in the loop.<o:p></o:p>
71% of people worldwide support Deposit Return Schemes (DRS), with trust at record highs, paving the way for circular systems that keep infinitely recyclable materials like drink cans in the loop.
● Romania is among the fastest DRS adopters, with 9 in 10 people participating and 77% supporting the system.
● 71% of Romanians feel personally responsible for recycling, the highest level globally.
● 75% of Romanians would recycle more if the process were fun or rewarding.
● Convenience matters: 41% of Romanians want a faster return process and 38% ask for more accessible return points.
Circularity is becoming part of the public mindset, according to the third wave of the international study commissioned by Every Can Counts, conducted across 16 countries and more than 16,000 participants (1,013 in Romania). Half of respondents associate circular packaging with being recycled back into the same type of product again and again (53% in Romania), and only 43% with being reusable (35% in Romania). At the same time, 57% define recyclable packaging as “designed for circularity,” showing that the concept resonates with consumers, while in Romania 65% see it in this way.
Perceptions of who is responsible for drink cans recycling vary sharply across markets. Consumer responsibility peaks in Romania (71%), Ireland (68%), and the UK and Greece (64%), but drops to just 35% in Poland.
However, 3 in 4 (75%) respondents from Romania (71% in the whole study) say they would be more likely to recycle if the experience were fun or interactive, with rewards, games, or apps that track and celebrate recycling, highlighting that engagement is the missing piece in waste management systems.
Meanwhile, 9 in 10 (91%) consider that manufacturers and brands should be required to use packaging that is infinitely/ fully recyclable or made from recycled materials.
“Circularity doesn’t have to be complex, infinitely recyclable and already widely collected, aluminium cans are proof that truly circular packaging is possible. What’s missing is awareness”, said David Van Heuverswyn, Global Director of Every Can Counts.
At the system level, Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) are the public’s chosen path to make circularity real. 71% of people around the world express support for DRS, with trust even higher, as 88% believe containers returned through these systems are effectively recycled.
The context is urgent: nine in ten people worldwide see plastic waste as a key environmental issue, on par with climate change. Yet this is not just an environmental sentiment, it’s a behavioural direction. The findings reveal that convenience and incentives are key to influencing change in recycling habits. 71% even support adjusting deposit fees by container size, showing a clear preference for fair, impactful solutions.
