Abstract
The European waste policy is focused on reducing the negative impact of waste, eliminating the unhealthy use of resources, and on better waste management. The aim of this paper is to analyse Romania’s waste management practices in the EU context. The research methodology is based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis. The descriptive data analysis reveals significant differences among EU countries in terms of the municipal waste generated and the recycling rate. The municipal waste generated registers decrease, whereas there are significant increases in terms of the recycling rates in the EU countries. The qualitative research is based on the analysis of structured interviews among stakeholders, relevant for the waste management in Romania. The information obtained based on interviews was processed using NVivo and the main findings are focused on recommendations for improving the waste management system. We have identified a lack of adequate public support in the waste field due to insufficient awareness programs, lack of operator’s obligation for separate waste sanitation, people's discouragement to separate their household waste, and lack of bins to separate collection. The correction of identified weaknesses could lead to an improved waste management system, feasible only through an active involvement of stakeholders
Highlights
In the last decades, the economic growth of the European Union countries has generated an increase of life standards and consumption
In order to highlight the trends, another graphic representation shows the evolution of municipal waste generated per capita in Romania, compared to the average in the European Union
The paper highlights the importance of cooperation among all the stakeholders for an effective waste management system
Summary
The economic growth of the European Union countries has generated an increase of life standards and consumption. The production and income have surged and, due to a moderate and low inflation rate, the average purchasing power of people has risen, especially in the Eastern and Central Europe. This is the case of Romania (Căilean Gavrilescu & Teodosiu, 2016). This lead to an increased volume of generated waste from. The prevention of extreme waste generation and the promotion of recycling will increase the efficiency of resources used in the European economies and will reduce the negative impact on the environment
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