Romania must reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from the waste sector by 20 percent by 2025, compared to 2019 levels, according to the national plan ‘Long Term Strategy of Romania’. The ultimate goal is to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, meaning a 99 percent reduction in net emissions from all industries.

In the waste sector, from 1990 to 2019, the level of CO2 emissions in Romania increased constantly by almost 17 percent. However, it has since entered a downward trend, with the projection indicating a 3 percent decrease by 2025, compared to the value 34 years ago.

Yet, the targets increase until 2050 when net emissions should be 73 percent lower than in 1990, the reference year for Member States.

There commitments were undertaken by our country following the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2016, along with the other member states of the European Union. Each state is obligated to develop and implement a strategy for at least 30 years, focusing on reducing emissions from all sectors, including waste management.

According to the latest figures from the European Parliament, Romania ranks 10th in the EU, in a list of member countries with the highest GHG emissions, with over 112 thousand kilotons of CO2 emissions in 2019. The top positions in this ranking, with higher emissions than Romania’s, are held by Germany, England, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Belgium.

Of the total emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) in Romania, 5 percent stem from inefficient waste management.

Starting in 2030, companies will have the obligation to recover 75 percent of the generated packaging waste, an increase of 10 percentage points from the current requirements. Also, according to the European Green Deal, excess packaging must be limited, and within the next 6 years, all packaging in the European Union market must be reusable or recyclable, including those made from biodegradable materials, as highlighted by experts from Clean Recycle.

If Romania fails to meet the climate requirements, it faces higher fines and environmental taxes imposed by the European Union, which could ultimately be paid by companies, through increased taxes.

“Reducing net emissions by 3 percent by 2025 compared to the 1990 levels is a major challenge, although the percentage may seem modest. Achieving this goal requires close collaboration between authorities, the population, and the business environment, as well as investments in efficient waste management infrastructure. By 2030, net emissions from this sector must decrease by 30 percent compared to 1990, requiring a strong commitment and a long-term vision,” says Cosmin Monda, founder and CEO of Clean Recycle.

In order to achieve its environmental objectives in the waste sector, our country has initiated the implementation of several measures:

• 10 percent of municipal waste will be disposed of by landfilling by 2035;
• By 2030, the amount of municipal waste per capita will be reduced by 10 percent, compared to 2017 (e.g., for municipal solid waste: from 228 kilograms per capita to 204 kg/capita);
• Increasing recycling targets for packaging waste;
• By 2030, 20 percent of methane emissions from non-recyclable waste will be used for energy production;
• The volume of incinerated/co-incinerated municipal waste will increase to 500 thousand ton annually.

In 2023, over 700 companies operating in Romania, part of Clean Recycle’s portfolio, reduced CO2 emissions through recycling by 95 thousand tons. These companies introduced 135 thousand tons of packaging to the market last year, of which over 87 thousand tons were recycled (meeting the global target of 65 percent recycling of packaging waste by 2023).

By 2050, Romania aims to achieve climate neutrality, meaning a 99 percent reduction in net emissions from all industries, according to the national strategy.

The European Union is the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, after China and the United States of America.

Clean Recycle is one of the top 5 players in the local market of the transfer of responsibility for packaging waste (OIREP), taking over the obligation to report, collect and recover packaging and packaging waste placed on the market by manufacturers and importers. Clean Recycle manages a portfolio of over 700 companies that produce and market packaging waste, active throughout Romania, from fields such as FMCG and retail, agribusiness, automotive, distribution, industrial production, pharmaceuticals, etc.