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Rivers, seas and oceans could be polluted with 44 million tons of plastic by 2060, double the current level, according to estimates by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), cited by Clean Recycle.
In Romania, plastic is among the most frequently used packaging, but its recycling rate is only 30.05%, according to the data from the National Institute of Statistics, analyzed by the company. The most recycled packaging waste in Romania is metal (51.12%) or glass (42.67%).
In fact, Romania ranks last in the European Union regarding the recycling of packaging waste, the percentage falling to 39.87% in 2020, almost 5% less than in 2019, the latest European statistics show.
Comparatively, the EU champions in this chapter are Belgium with 79.2%, the Netherlands with 74.7% and Luxembourg with 71.9%.
Environmental targets have increased in 2023, so that packaging waste should be recycled in a proportion of 65%. From 2025, this percentage will rise to 70%.
Packaging waste placed on the market in Romania must be reported to the environmental authorities through the OIREPs (Organizations Implementing the Obligations of Extended Producer Responsibility).
In the first five months of 2023, Clean Recycle managed an amount of more than 55,000 tons of recyclable waste (paper/cardboard, plastic, PET, glass, steel, aluminum, wood) for the 700 companies in its portfolio. Of this amount, 3,600 tons were PET plastic waste, and 11,400 tons - other types of plastic waste.
"We are still far below the European average in terms of packaging waste recycling and far from the environmental targets imposed by the European Commission. We are faced with the unpredictability of the legislation, with a lack of awareness and education of the population towards eco-responsible behavior, but also with the lack of infrastructure. Plastic is probably the biggest challenge, but there are problems with all types of packaging waste, if we do not offer the population a favorable framework through which selective collection is no longer considered an effort," said Cosmin Monda, founder and CEO of Clean Recycle.
Recently, the European Commission included Romania among the countries in Europe exposed to the risk of not meeting the objectives for 2025 neither in terms of municipal waste nor in terms of packaging waste, together with Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary.
Clean Recycle is one of the first 5 players on the local market of the transfer of responsibility for packaging waste (OIREP), taking over the obligation to report, collect and utilize 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.
