Abstract
The transition to a circular economy with an emphasis on eco-innovation is just beginning both in Europe and in Romania, as a member country of the European Union. The whole economic system in which people operate must be circular, which means that it must eliminate conflicting aspects related to regulation, collaboration, governance, supply chain dynamics, and data transparency. However, the barriers to the transition to a circular economy are substantial, and it is up to states to work together to find innovative solutions to society’s problems. This article focuses on aspects related to eco-innovation in the field of drinking water quality in all administrative regions of Romania. In this regard, a study was undertaken, and the main objective pursued in was to identify and highlight the degree of eco-innovation of drinking water suppliers in seven underdeveloped regions of Romania. Starting from an analysis of the water management framework through the OECD Principles on Water Governance, it was possible to develop a study on drinking water supply companies in Romania. This study was performed based on specific indicators grouped by categories, and it aimed in two directions: on the one hand, the identification of drinking water distributors with a high degree of eco-innovation, which leads to quality certification of the drinking water supplied and which has the impact of encouraging household consumers to mainly use this type of supplied water to the detriment of PET bottled water (which has well-known major disadvantages in relation to environmental pollution and user health); on the other hand, the identification of drinking water supply companies with a low degree of eco-innovation, which is proof of the need for mandatory measures to improve drinking water quality, measures that can be taken at the supplier level but especially with support from the administrative and political environment.
Highlights
Our economies have developed a “take–make–consume–dispose” growth pattern—a linear model that is based on the assumption that resources are abundant, available, and accessible and that it is cheap to eliminate their waste and byproducts from the circuit
The present research started from our analysis of the eco-innovation field in drinking water management as a path to sustainability and by implementing improvements such as the circular economy instead of a linear economy
This indicators were extracted from a more comprehensive group of indicators established at the level of the European Union, which the indicators are described quite vaguely in the existing documentation at European level, based on the name of these indicators, an extremely suggestive reference is made in the sense of what could be evaluated by using them
Summary
Our economies have developed a “take–make–consume–dispose” growth pattern—a linear model that is based on the assumption that resources are abundant, available, and accessible and that it is cheap to eliminate their waste and byproducts from the circuit. Experience has shown that such a direction is wrong and that greater and more sustainable performance can be achieved if resources are used in a more efficient way. In this regard, architects, chemists, engineers, as well as other experts have observed that the global economy can be run in a different way. As Sariatli said, the intrinsic mechanics of the linear economy (by counting on the wasteful take—make—dispose flow) is detrimental to the environment and cannot.
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