Only 30% of students in Romania participated in programs in which they learned about the importance of selective collection and waste 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. Local authorities should provide schools with colored bins, for students and teachers to collect selectively.
The largest amounts of waste are generated by schools in large cities and most of them are household waste, cardboard and paper, plastic packaging, PETs or glass.
Only 11% of the municipal waste is recycled
As compared to 2007, when only 0.4% of municipal waste was recycled, the percentage reached over 11% in 2019.
From 2025, however, the targets imposed by the European Union will be of 55% and Romania will also have to make more efforts in what regards the education of the population, in order to meet its environmental targets.
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 regarding the utilization of this type of environmentally dangerous packaging. In 10 years, the amount of recycled plastic increased from 15% in 2008 to 43% in 2018.