WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ROMANIA: CURRENT CHALLENGES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

Ever since the world acknowledged the disproportionality between the rhythm of resource consumption and resource regeneration, new ways of managing resources and even new resources have been found in most unusual places, such as things that were previously considered useless (demolition waste, quarrying waste mountains etc.). Since waste comes in considerable forms, but has common characteristics’, such as the amount of space it occupies, the bad odor it produces, the risk of biological contamination, it comes natural for people to dispose of it. Yet, newer trends turn waste into resources, from metal and glass – some of the most recyclable materials, to municipal waste that is turned into power in specially designed burning plants. In this context, and considering the Sustainable Development Goals targets that have been set for 2030, this paper intends to create an overview of the general situation of waste management in Romania and to see what are the main problems that this country encounters in terms of waste management and also to expose the main opportunities in relation to waste management for Romania. Some of the results point out to a very low quantity of municipal waste generated per person in Romania, along with a low recycling rate compared to the European Union average. Nevertheless, the plastic and aluminum collecting program recently implemented in Romania turns out to be a best practice at European level.