Uruguay launches first nationwide Deposit Return System (DRS)
Uruguay’s national packaging recovery initiative, Plan Vale, agreed on Friday, February 21, 2025, to the terms with the consortium of CIEMSA, CSI, and Reverse Logistics Group (RLG) to implement the country’s first Deposit Return and Refund System (DRS) for single-use beverage containers. This project positions Uruguay as the first Latin American nation to adopt such a system, setting a precedent for efficient recycling and waste management in the region.
The consortium has been entrusted with the system’s design, implementation, and operation under Plan Vale’s stewardship. The program, which is designed to incentivise the return of recyclable materials, will cover a wide array of packaging types, including PET plastics, aluminium cans, glass bottles, and carton beverages. Including these materials is expected to amplify the program’s environmental impact significantly.
To facilitate this ambitious effort, RLG has partnered with CIEMSA and CSI, two long-established and highly experienced local firms, to support operations in Uruguay, which include material collection and transportation, as well as the construction and operation of counting and sorting centres. This collaboration will allow the transfer of RLG’s extensive global experience to DRS, which will ensure the system’s efficiency and reliability.
RLG will act as the project’s primary technology provider. The company will deploy an End-to-End DRS IT solution that integrates all system stakeholders and ensures the secure management of data and financial flows. Additionally, RLG’s operations and logistics management solution will support the Consortium in optimising collection routes and tracking materials from collection to their final processing destinations.
The establishment of a local entity by RLG to manage the project is claimed to underscore the company’s commitment to the success of the DRS in Uruguay. The local team, already in place, is expected to grow as the project progresses, further embedding RLG’s expertise within the country.
About Plan Vale Uruguay
Plan Vale is a national plan approved by the Environmental Ministry in 2022 to collect and recover packaging to comply with national regulations and the recovery goals established by the Ministry of Environment in Resolution No. 271/2021 and its modification in Resolution No.1391/024. Its two main pillars are a selective recovery plan and the implementation and administration of a Deposit Return System (DRS).
About CIEMSA and CSI
CSI and CIEMSA are Uruguayan companies that are part of the same Holding, specializing in engineering, architecture and infrastructure. With more than 45 years of experience, they have a team of 3,000 collaborators and a presence in more than 35 countries. They also have offices in Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and the United States. CIEMSA provides engineering, construction, assembly, operation and maintenance services for the Uruguayan public and private sector and CSI is a world-class, multi-specialist architectural and engineering consulting firm based in Uruguay. In consortium with RLG, the companies are responsible for the executive design and operations of the DRS.