Romania has recycled only 38.31% of packaging waste, marking a decline of 1.56 percentage points, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS) quoted in a Clean Recycle analysis.

By category, the most significant decreases were seen in the recycling of glass, which dropped from 42.6% in 2020 to 28.03% in 2021, and metals, which recorded a decrease from 51.12% to 44.24%.

On the other hand, modest progress has been noted in recycling plastic and paper/cardboard. The recycling rate for plastic increased from 30.05% in 2020 to 31.59% in 2021, and for paper and cardboard from 6.32% to 67.88%. However, these increases are insufficient to compensate for the significant decreases in the other sectors, the company notes in the analysis.

This decrease highlights the urgent need for coherent and effective measures to stimulate recycling and protect the environment, the company said.

"As we emphasize every time, it is clear that Romania is not making sufficient progress to meet the environmental goals set by the European Union. There are numerous problems, but it is essential to focus on solutions. It is imperative to intensify efforts to educate and raise awareness among the population about the importance of recycling, to improve the collection infrastructure, and to implement effective policies that stimulate recycling at a national level," Cosmin Monda, founder and CEO of Clean Recycle, said.

In the first four months of the year, Clean Recycle managed over 37,000 tonnes of packaging waste for more than 800 clients in its portfolio, of which 18,000 tonnes were recycled and 1,700 tonnes were recovered through incineration.

The company manages a portfolio of over 800 companies that produce and market packaging waste across Romania, operating in sectors such as FMCG and retail, agribusiness, automotive, distribution, industrial production, pharmaceuticals, and more.

(Photo: Katarzyna Bialasiewicz | Dreamstime.com)

simona@romania-insider.com