{"id":5060,"date":"2026-04-08T06:33:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T06:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sustainability-today.ro\/?p=5060"},"modified":"2026-04-08T06:33:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T06:33:20","slug":"corina-dospinoiu-imre-auchan-romania-over-the-next-3-5-years-our-circular-economy-priorities-will-be-strongly-shaped-by-the-ppwr-and-the-new-textile-legislation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sustainability-today.ro\/index.php\/2026\/04\/08\/corina-dospinoiu-imre-auchan-romania-over-the-next-3-5-years-our-circular-economy-priorities-will-be-strongly-shaped-by-the-ppwr-and-the-new-textile-legislation\/","title":{"rendered":"Corina Dospinoiu-Imre, Auchan Romania: \u201cOver the next 3\u20135 years, our circular economy priorities will be strongly shaped by the PPWR and the new textile legislation\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Shaping Romania\u2019s Circular Economy | Editorial Series by Sustainability Today<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this exclusive interview on Sustainability Today, Corina Dospinoiu-Imre, Sustainability Director at Auchan Romania, shares her vision for the future of sustainability and the circular economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the next 3\u20135 years, Auchan Romania’s priorities will be heavily influenced by upcoming regulatory changes, including the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and new textile legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Romania has shown visible progress in adopting circular economy principles in recent years, yet there’s still significant room for improvement compared to other Central and Eastern European markets. While the country is heading in the right direction, it lags behind more advanced models in Europe and beyond. At the heart of this transformation lies innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building a truly circular and sustainable economy demands more than new technologies and business models\u2014it requires a fundamental shift in mindset. This can only happen through education, fostering awareness, skills, and competencies across all levels, from schools and universities to professional training and lifelong learning in organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From your perspective, how advanced is Romania today in adopting circular economy principles compared to other Central and Eastern European markets?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Romania has made visible progress in recent years when it comes to adopting circular economy principles, but there is still room for improvement compared to other Central and Eastern European markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A relevant example of systemic transformation is the implementation of the Deposit Return System (SGR), which clearly demonstrates that Romania has the capability to design and scale nationwide circular solutions when working in complete harmony, the private sector, Governmental institutions, NGO\u2019s and civil society. In parallel, we are also seeing encouraging developments in areas such as biogas infrastructure, which further support the transition toward resource efficiency and green energy production, while reducing emissions with waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, important steps are still ahead of us, considering the geopolitical context, we have to accelerate our transition phasing out of fossil fuels, while pushing for even more circular models, to keep, transform and reuse resources within the European Union and Romania. For this to happen we need the same kind of harmony and incentives in order to create the necessary infrastructure to support this imperative transition. The upcoming transposition of legislation regarding extended producer responsibility for textiles will be one of the  key milestones, and its implementation at national level will play an important role in shaping the next phase of circular economy development in Romania and EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Romania has made meaningful progress and is moving in the right direction, it still has significant room to grow in reaching its full potential, especially when compared to more advanced circular economy models already implemented in other European and non-European countries. Innovation stands at the core of this sustainable transformation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How is the transition toward resource efficiency and circular business models influencing investment decisions within your organization?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within our company, resource efficiency is a key driver of transformation and a central element in our investment strategy. Improving the way we use resources not only supports our sustainability objectives, but also strengthens operational resilience and long-term business performance, while optimizing costs at different levels of the organization<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Circular economy business models play an important role in this transition, as they provide practical frameworks for reducing waste, optimizing resource use such as energy and water and creating additional value across the supply chain. In many cases, investments aligned with circularity are directly linked to efficiency gains, making them both environmentally and economically relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A critical enabler in this process is the strong commitment from our leadership. The support from the board provides clarity, direction and confidence, significantly easing investment decisions and allowing us to accelerate the implementation of projects that contribute to a more resource-efficient and circular business model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which factors most influence companies when investing in circular economy initiatives in Romania: regulation, access to financing, infrastructure, technology, or market demand?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among all these factors, regulation plays the most decisive role in influencing companies to invest in circular economy initiatives in Romania. Clear, stable and well-implemented regulatory frameworks provide both direction and predictability, which are essential for long-term investments. When regulations set concrete targets, responsibilities and timelines, they create a level playing field and encourage companies to align their strategies and investments accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, regulation often acts as a catalyst for the development of other key enablers, such as infrastructure, access to financing or technological adoption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specifically at this moment is time to accelerate even further and faster the transition, perhaps with even more disruptive approaches, incentives could be the decisive factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How could public authorities better support companies transitioning from linear to circular economic models?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public authorities play a key role by providing targeted incentives for companies that are willing to invest in circular economy projects, helping to reduce the financial burden associated with this transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, simplifying and clarifying existing legislation is essential. Currently, regulatory frameworks can be complex and difficult to navigate, which may slow down implementation and discourage potential investment. A more coherent and streamlined approach would significantly support companies in moving from linear to circular business models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What role should education and workforce development play in building the skills needed for a circular and sustainable economy?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Education is fundamental – it is the foundation of any meaningful progress, transformation and long-term development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building a circular and sustainable economy requires not only new technologies and business models, but also a shift in mindset. This can only be achieved through education, by developing awareness, skills and raising competencies at all levels, from schools and universities to professional training and continuous learning within organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Workforce development plays a critical role in enabling this transition, ensuring that people are equipped to understand, implement and scale circular practices. Without strong investment in education, the transition toward a sustainable economy cannot be fully realized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How confident are you that Romania can accelerate its transition toward a more sustainable and circular economic model by 2030?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We see a positive direction of travel, even if there are still important factors to be addressed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Romania has already demonstrated that it can implement large-scale initiatives, such as the Deposit Return System, which shows that systemic change is possible when there is alignment between public authorities and the private sector. There is also growing awareness and momentum around sustainability, both at policy and business levels, so if we couple it with stronger education and incentives for companies, everything is possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do you see the biggest opportunities for innovation and growth in Romania\u2019s circular economy ecosystem?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The biggest opportunities lie in developing the infrastructure needed to support a fully integrated, 360-degree circular economy ecosystem at national level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This includes not only waste collection and recycling systems, but also logistics, sorting, processing and recovery infrastructure that can enable materials to remain in the loop for as long as possible. Investments and innovation in infrastructure will be essential to connect all stakeholders from producers and retailers to consumers and recyclers and to ensure that circularity becomes a functional, efficient and economically viable system across the entire value chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What sustainability or circular economy priorities will define your company\u2019s strategy in Romania over the next 3\u20135 years?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the next 3\u20135 years, our sustainability and circular economy priorities will be strongly shaped by upcoming regulatory changes, particularly the impact of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and the new textile legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These frameworks will drive significant transformation across the value chain, from how products are designed and packaged to how materials are collected, reused and recycled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What policies or incentives could most effectively encourage companies to design products and processes with circularity in mind?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tax incentives would be among the most effective measures to encourage companies to integrate even more circularity into their products and processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In particular, reductions applied to green CAPEX and OPEX investments, as well as incentives linked to turnover generated through sustainable activities, would significantly accelerate the transition. These types of policies can lower the financial barriers associated with circular solutions and make them more attractive from a business perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you could deliver one message to policymakers tomorrow about advancing the circular economy, what would it be?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To provide clear, stable legislation and meaningful incentives. Simplifying and clarifying the regulatory framework is essential to give companies the confidence to invest and act. At the same time, well-designed incentives can accelerate the transition by making circular solutions economically viable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A balanced approach between regulation and support would enable faster, more effective progress toward a circular economy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shaping Romania\u2019s Circular Economy | Editorial Series by Sustainability Today In this exclusive interview on Sustainability Today, Corina Dospinoiu-Imre, Sustainability Director at Auchan Romania, shares her vision for the future of sustainability and the circular economy. Over the next 3\u20135 years, Auchan Romania’s priorities will be heavily influenced by upcoming regulatory changes, including the Packaging […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5061,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,21],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-5060","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-circular_economy","8":"category-interviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sustainability-today.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5060","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sustainability-today.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sustainability-today.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sustainability-today.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sustainability-today.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5060"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sustainability-today.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5060\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5062,"href":"https:\/\/www.sustainability-today.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5060\/revisions\/5062"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sustainability-today.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sustainability-today.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sustainability-today.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sustainability-today.ro\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}