Romania recycles just 34% of packaging waste, lagging far behind EU targets

Romania currently captures about 34% of packaging waste from paper, plastic, glass and metal, well below the EU's existing target of 75% and the 2030 goal of 90%, leaving a 41‑point shortfall. Indra Mihăilă, vice‑president of the Romanian Association for Packaging and Environment (ARAM), said that achieving the targets requires stricter enforcement of existing legislation, active involvement of local authorities and accelerated investment in collection and sorting infrastructure. Large urban areas are identified as priority zones, while low automation at sorting facilities hampers progress; a single AI‑driven robotic arm for waste identification costs around €400,000. The conference also highlighted that waste operators in Romania owe the state 1.44 billion lei, the sector generates roughly 4 billion lei in net profit and employs about 16 thousand people. These figures were discussed in the context of the National Waste Management Plan 2025‑2030 and new EU packaging waste regulations.