Each year, the start of the school year highlights the problem of selective waste collection, knowing that schools are major generators of packaging waste.
Only 30% of Romanian students participated in programs (usually organized by various private entities or NGO platforms), in which they learned the importance of separate waste collection and recycling, according to a Clean Recycle analysis.
Schools are public institutions that generate large amounts of waste every year, but their management infrastructure is deficient, the analysis also shows. Local authorities should provide schools with colored bins, which students and teachers can selectively collect.
The largest amounts of waste are generated by schools in large cities and most of it is household waste, cardboard and paper, plastic packaging, PET or glass, according to data from Clean Recycle.
“Eco-responsible behavior begins in the early school years. Students must be guided and informed about the importance of protecting the environment, which also involves learning about selective collection and recycling of waste. It is a process that must become normal and part of our lives. The circular economy contributes to a sustainable economy and a better future for all,” says Cosmin Monda, Founder and CEO of Clean Recycle.
Only 11% of municipal waste is recycled
Compared to 2007, when only 0.4% of municipal waste was recycled, the percentage reached more than 11% in 2019.* From 2025, however, the targets imposed by the European Union will be 55% and the Romania will also have to make more efforts in terms of educating the population, in order to achieve its environmental objectives.
Paper and cardboard are the main packaging waste generated in Romania, followed by plastic, wood and metal. In terms of plastic recycling, Romania has made considerable progress in the use of this type of environmentally hazardous packaging. In 10 years, the amount of recycled plastic has increased from 15% in 2008 to 43% in 2018.*
Clean Recycle is one of the top 5 players in the OIREP local market. Clean Recycle manages a portfolio of more than 700 companies that produce and market packaging waste, active throughout Romania, in areas such as consumer goods and retail, food, automotive , distribution, industrial production, pharmaceuticals, etc.