recycling

Romania currently recycles only 1% of its waste and the 50% recycling target set for 2020 cannot be reached, so the Government will put forward a new waste management law, which will include new taxes.

Just 1% of the 382 kilograms of waste produced in 2008 by each Romanian living in cities or large towns has been recycled, while the remainder has been stored, temporarily or permanently, in landfills, according to a statistic released Friday by Eurostat.

Romanian Environment Minister Nicolae Nemirschi said Wednesday that Romania might introduce by the end of the year automatic collectors for recyclable plastic bottles, so that anyone who returns a plastic bottle would get a shopping voucher in exchange.

Romania’s Environment Ministry might introduce by the end of the year a refund for returning plastic containers, which will be applied in large stores for starters, minister Nicolae Nemirschi said Sunday.