Abstract
Romania is still a landfilled-based country and is exposed to illegal dum** and open burning practices of plastic items, particularly in rural regions; therefore, recycling and source-separated waste collection schemes need to be further improved at the national scale. In this context, this work aims to examine the role of plastic waste trade in Romania and the repercussions to the environment associated with it, such as other domestic waste management deficiencies. Therefore, this study reveals the manner in which plastic wastes from abroad (i.e., plastic packaging, textile waste, plastic parts of e-waste, and end-of-life vehicles) pose additional threats to the environment under the prevalence of linear economy mechanisms and, also, how these waste streams appear to interact with both the formal and informal recycling sectors in Romania. The role of plastic waste trade in aquatic and terrestrial contamination should be further investigated in Romania.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andrei, L., Negulescu, M. H., & Luca, O. (2022). Premises for the future deployment of automated and connected transport in Romania considering citizens’ perceptions and attitudes towards automated vehicles. Energies, 15(5), 1698.
BAN. (2021). After China ban, Romania hit by illegal waste imports. Available at https://www.ban.org/news/2021/4/28/after-china-ban-romania-hit-by-illegal-waste-imports. Accessed on 3 Nov 2021.
Bănică, A., Eva, M., & Iațu, C. (2019). Perceptions of green and smart urban transport issues in Romanian cities: A preliminary exploratory analysis. Territorial Identity and Development, 4(2), 58–75.
Bunding-Venter, C., Silimela, Y. T., & Oe, N. (2022). Solid waste management deep dive: Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland and Romania-sustainable cities implementation framework. https://policycommons.net/artifacts/2363856/solid-waste-management-deep-dive/3384827/
Burla, V. (2021). Dezmembrările de mașini, o afacere prosperă care poluează enorm. https://Romania.europalibera.org/a/poluarea-dindezmembrareamasinilor/31553536.html?fbclid=IwAR2K2kx_QVY-TQm2w6V9Zqe6DbUl52E6Kw754xVMXkUFjE_X9gvIEZx8IMA. Accessed on 6 Mar 2023.
CIROM. (n.d.). Co-processing waste in cement industry. Available at https://cirom.ro/industria-cimentului-deseurile-care-nu-pot-fi-reciclate-prin-procesele-de-reciclare-existente-devin-o-resursa-alternativa-in-productia-de-ciment-si-salveaza-mii-de-tone-de-combustibil-fosil-si-resurs
Cojocaru, B. (2013). Why Romania is covered by PET bottles and Romania is still importing plastic waste. Available at https://www.zfcorporate.ro/energie/de-ce-este-romania-acoperita-de-pet-uri-si-totusi-am-ajuns-sa-importam-deseuri-din-plastic-10874974. Accessed on 17 Mar 2023.
Coxall, M., & Souter, K. (2021). Environmental law and practice in the European Union: Overview. Thomson Reuters Practical Law. Available at https://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/w-027-3735?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)
DIGI24. (2017). Săruleşti, the “country” of scrap metal sellers. Available at https://www.digi24.ro/stiri/actualitate/social/sarulesti-tara-vanzatorilor-de-fier-vechi-unde-doarjandarmiii-se-incumeta-sa-intre-808524. Accessed on 23 Feb 2023.
Digi24. (2021). The terrible scheme of burning in Sintești. Chief of the Environmental Guard: People are enslaved on dumpsites, there are thousands of children (27.03.2021). Available at https://www.digi24.ro/stiri/actualitate/teribila-schema-a-arderilor-de-la-sintesti-seful-garzii-de-mediu-oamenii-sunt-sclavi-pe-plantatii-de-deseuri-sunt-mii-de-copii-1475281. Accessed on 17 Mar 2023.
Digi24. (2023). Gunoaiele Europei la porțile României. Aproape 3.800 de tone au fost oprite la frontier. Available at https://www.digi24.ro/stiri/actualitate/gunoaiele-europei-la-portile-romaniei-aproape-3-800-de-tone-au-fost-oprite-la-frontiere-2201561?fbclid=IwAR3JoTvj_vORZYxCSkavuscNOajwwPOOseTvEEFzQ4CZTrz_BZSENbEH8J8. Accessed on 01 Jan 2023.
Directive (EU) 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council. (2019, June 5). Official Journal of the European Union. Available at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/904/oj
Dobre-Baron, O., Nițescu, A., Niță, D., & Mitran, C. (2022). Romania’s perspectives on the transition to the circular economy in an EU context. Sustainability, 14, 5324. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095324
Dodd, M., Amponsah, L. O., Grundy, S., & Darko, G. (2023). Human health risk associated with metal exposure at Agbogbloshie e-waste site and the surrounding neighbourhood in Accra, Ghana. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 1–17.
EC. (2018). A European strategy for plastics in a circular economy. Brussels, 16.1.2018, COM(2018) 28 final. Available at https://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/pdf/plastics-strategy.pdf
EC. (2019). The European Green Deal. Brussels, 11.12.2019, COM(2019) 640 final.[pdf]. Available at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:b828d165-1c22-11ea-8c1f-01aa75ed71a1.0002.02/DOC_1&format=PDF
EC. (2020). A new circular economy action plan for a cleaner and more competitive Europe. Available at https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/circular-economy-action-plan_en
EC. (2021). Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of the environment through criminal law and replacing Directive 2008/99/EC. Brussels, 15.12.2021, COM(2021) 851 final, 2021/0422 (COD). Available at https://commission.europa.eu/system/files/2021-12/1_1_179760_prop_dir_env_en.pdf
EC. (2022a). Environmental impact of waste management – Revision of EU waste framework. Available at https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13225-Environmental-impact-of-waste-management-revision-of-EU-waste-framework_en
EC. (2022b). Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on packaging and packaging waste, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and Directive (EU) 2019/904, and repealing Directive 94/62/EC.
Ecologic. (2022). The number of illegal waste shipments is reduced more reduced in 2022. Available at https://ecologic.rec.ro/in-2022-s-a-redus-numarul-transporturilor-ilegale-de-deseuri/. Accessed on 20 Apr 2023.
Economica.net. (2023). Exportul de ambalaje folosite devine un posibil motiv de scumpiri generalizate la raft. Asociația OIREP AMBALAJE: O decizie a deputaților aruncă în aer întreaga piață a deșeurilor de ambalaje. Available at https://www.economica.net/exportul-de-ambalaje-folosite-devine-un-posibil-motiv-de-scumpiri-generalizate-la-raft-asociatia-oirep-ambalaje-o-decizie-a-deputatilor-arunca-in-aer-intreaga-piata-a-deseurilor-de-ambalaje666896_666896.html?fbclid=IwAR0LR3KIQCPwRXULAd0Rn5LKmiGe4rrkylvrlFa1sfbzFE9nZRru_EVJgfk
EEA. (2022). Circular economy country profile – Romania. ETC CE Report 2022/5 – Romania. Available at https://www.eionet.europa.eu/etcs/etc-ce/products/etc-ce-products/etc-ce-report-5-2022-country-profiles-on-circular-economy/romania-ce-country-profile-2022_for-publication.pdf
Environmental Investigation Agency. (2021). The truth behind trash. The scale and impact of the international trade in plastic waste. Environmental Investigation Agency. Available at https://eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/EIA-The-Truth-Behind-Trash-FINAL.pdf
EU. (2018). Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 Amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste. Official Journal, L150, 109–114. Available at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32018L0851
Euroactiv. (2020). Activists concerned over increase in waste smuggling in Romania. Available at https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/activists-concerned-over-increase-in-waste-smuggling-in-romania/
EUROPOL. (2022). ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME threat assessment 2022 in the age of climate change. Available at https://www.europol.europa.eu/cms/sites/default/files/documents/Environmental%20Crime%20in%20the%20Age%20of%20Climate%20Change%20-%20Public%20report_5.pdf
Eurostat Databases. (2004-2021). Trade in waste by type of material and partner. Available at https://rethinkplasticalliance.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/RPa-ZWE-Illegal-plastic-shipments-Spain-report-1-1.pdf
FundacióENT. (2021). Understanding illegal plastic waste shipments: A focus on Spain. Report of Rethink Plastic alliance. Available at https://rethinkplasticalliance.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/RPa-ZWE-Illegal-plastic-shipments-Spain-report-1-1.pdf
Ganea, M. (2021). Waste recycling in Romania by Green Group. Available at https://zin.ro/20/04/2021/mediu/romania-reciclare-deseuri-green-group-green-tech-green-fiber-green-management-constantin-damov/ Accessed on 6 Apr 2023.
Gherheş, V., Fărcaşiu, M. A., & Para, I. (2022). Environmental problems: An analysis of students’ perceptions towards selective waste collection. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 6346.
Guillot, L. (2022). Europe’s dirty problem: Environmental crime. Politico Pro. Available at Europe’s dirty problem: Environmental crime – POLITICO.
Hogg, D., Fletcher, D., Eye, M., Mulcahy, K., & Elliott, T. (2011). From waste to work: The potential for a deposit refund system to create jobs in the UK. Eunomia Research & Consulting Ltd.
INTERPOL. (2019). INTERPOL KEY FINDINGS REPORT: OPERATION 30 DAYS AT SEA 2.0 (2019). Note by the General Secretariat of the International Criminal Police Organization-INTERPOL.
Ioana-Alina, C., & Anca, M. (2019, September). Closure solutions for a non-compliant landfill: Case study from Parța non-compliant landfill, Timiș County, Romania. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 603(4), 042009. IOP Publishing.
Jigani, A. I., Delcea, C., & Ioanăș, C. (2020). Consumers’ behavior in selective waste collection: A case study regarding the determinants from Romania. Sustainability, 12(16), 6527.
McNeish, J. E., & Neufeldt, J. (2023). Can Nestlé transform from a corporation that ‘talks about doing good’ to ‘doing good’ for the environment? In Dealing with socially responsible consumers: Studies in marketing (pp. 429–456). Springer Nature Singapore.
Mihai, F.-C. (2018). Rural plastic emissions into the largest mountain lake of the Eastern Carpathians. Royal Society Open Science, 5(5), 172396. Available at https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.172396
Mihai, F.-C. (2019). Construction and demolition waste in Romania: The route from illegal dum** to building materials. Sustainability, 119(11), 3179. Available at https://doi.org/10.3390/su11113179.
Mihai, F.-C. (2021, November). Waste management challenges in Romania during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Waste-to-resources 2021: 9th international symposium circular economy, MBT, MRF and recycling (p. 335). Cuvillier Verlag.
Mihai, F.-C., & Grozavu, A. (2019). Role of waste collection efficiency in providing a cleaner rural environment. Sustainability, 11(23), 6855. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236855
Mihai, F.-C., & Ulman, S.-R. (2022). Post-consumer plastic waste pollution under linear economy mechanisms in Romania. In 9th SWS international scientific conferences on SOCIAL SCIENCES-ISCSS 2022. Available at https://doi.org/10.35603/sws.iscss.2022/s15.129
Mihai, F.-C., & Ulman, S.-R. (2023). Circular economy in Green Deal strategies. In Sustainable and circular management of resources and waste towards a Green Deal (pp. 49–63) Elsevier. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-323-95278-1.00029-2
Mihai, F.-C., Gnoni, M. G., Meidiana, C., Schneider, P., Ezeah, C., & Elia, V. (2022a). A global outlook on the implementation of the Basel Convention and the Transboundary Movement of E-waste. In Paradigm shift in E-waste management (pp. 49–75). CRC Press. Available at https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003095972-4
Mihai, F.-C., Gündoğdu, S., Markley, L. A., Olivelli, A., Khan, F. R., Gwinnett, C., Gutberlet, J., Reyna-Bensusan, N., Llanquileo-Melgarejo, P., Meidiana, C., Elagroudy, S., Ishchenko, V., Penney, S., Lenkiewicz, Z., & Molinos-Senante, M. (2022b). Plastic pollution, waste management issues, and circular economy opportunities in rural communities. Sustainability, 14, 20. Available at https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010020
Mihai, F.-C., Minea, I., & Ulman, S.-R. (2023). Water resources preservation through circular economy. The case of Romania. In Water management and circular economy. 143–176, Elsevier, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-95280-4.00002-3
Mihai, F.-C., Meidiana, C., Elagroudy, S., Ulman, S.-R., Gutberlet, J., & Carvalho, C. (2024). Plastic waste management for zero waste to landfills: potential, challenges, and opportunities. In Bhat, R. A., Dar, G. H., & Hajam, Y. A. (Eds), Zero waste management technologies: Advanced transformations for resource development and environmental protection, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. (in press)
Millette, S., et al. (2022). Global deposit book. An overview of deposit return Systems for single-use beverage containers. Reloop – Resources remain resources. Available at https://www.reloopplatform.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/RELOOP_Global_Deposit_Book_11I2022_P1.pdf
Ministry of Environment. (2022). Circular economy strategy. available at http://www.mmediu.ro/app/webroot/uploads/files/Strategia%20Nationala%20privind%20Economia%20Circulara%20-%20var%20finala.pdf
Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests. (2022a). ORDER no. 1647 from June 10, 2022. Available at https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/256826
Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests. (2022b). ORDER no. 1736 from June 28, 2022. Available at https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocumentAfis/256828
Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests. (2022c). ORDER no. 831/49 from April 29, 2022. Available at https://lege5.ro/gratuit/geytcmzygqydm/ordinul-nr-831-49-2022-privind-stabilirea-punctelor-de-trecere-a-frontierei-de-stat-pentru-transferurile-de-deseuri-si-marfuri-bunuri-secondhand
Ministry of European Investments and Projects. (2021). National recovery and resilience plan. Available at https://mfe.gov.ro/pnrr/
Ministry of the Environment, Japan. (2021). G20 report on actions against marine plastic litter. Third information sharing based on the G20 implementation framework. Available at https://g20mpl.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/G20MPL-report-2021_final-edition1119.pdf
Modoi, O.-C., & Mihai, F.-C. (2022). E-waste and end-of-life vehicles management and circular economy initiatives in Romania. Energies, 15, 1120. Available at https://doi.org/10.3390/en15031120
Modoi, C., Dascăl, D., Roba, C., & Bălc, R. (2022). On the importance of public views regarding the environmental impact of plastic pollution in Cluj County, Romania. International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference: SGEM, 22(4.2), 83–91.
Niculescu, P. (2020). Tons of waste illegally brought from Italy illegally burned (?) At Pata Rât. Available at https://www.monitorulcj.ro/actualitate/78340-tone-intregi-de-deseuri-aduse-din-italia-se-ard-la-pata-rat
Niinimäki, K., Peters, G., Dahlbo, H., Perry, P., Rissanen, T., & Gwilt, A. (2020). The environmental price of fast fashion. Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, 1(4), 189–200.
OECD. (2022). Global plastics outlook: Economic drivers, environmental impacts and policy options. Available at https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/environment/global-plastics-outlook_de747aef-en
Pavalasc, M. (2021). How Romania turned into an illegal dum** ground for EU waste. Availabe at https://www.rferl.org/a/romania-garbage-asia-european-union/31429822.html
Pirca, R. (2022). Informal waste industry in Romania. Available at https://www.wall-street.ro/articol/Social/285142/industria-la-negru-a-deseurilor-in-romania-cat-se-castiga-din-arderile-de-masini-si-gropile-ilegale-de-gunoi.html#gref
Pop, M., Bucur, I., Zoldan, D., Imre, K., Nichita, I., Cristina, G., et al. (2022). Chemical and microbiological air quality in a municipal solid waste landfill and its surroundings, in South-Eastern Romania. Sustainability, 14(1), 156.
Rios, A. M., & Picazo-Tadeo, A. J. (2021). Measuring environmental performance in the treatment of municipal solid waste: The case of the European Union-28. Ecological Indicators, 123, 107328.
RiseProject. (2019). Cement’s dirty business. Available at https://www.riseproject.ro/articol/video-secrete-de-ciment/ Accessed on 6 Apr 2023.
Romanian Border Police. (2023). Activity report for 2022 year. Available at https://www.politiadefrontiera.ro/ro/giurgiu/i-analiza-activitatii-politiei-de-frontiera-romane-pe-anul-2022-32548.html. Accessed on 20 Apr 2023.
Romanian Court of Accounts. (2022). Sinteza raportului de audit al performanței. Evaluarea modului de gestionare a nivelului de generare a deșeurilor de plastic/Summary of performance audit report. Evaluation of the management mode of the level of plastic waste generation. Department IX, Directorate 2 (In Romanian). Available at https://www.curteadeconturi.ro/uploads/a611a0a4/9c39be71/46669cee/6ffecf53/1ce27039/1bcd2971/6f4df098/cbc94ec4/Raport.pdf
Romanian Government. (2021a). Government Decision no. 1265 from December 17, 2021. Available at https://www.lege-online.ro/lr-HOT%C4%82R%C3%82RE-1265%20-2021-(249714)-(2).html
Romanian Government. (2021b). Government Emergency Ordinance no. 92/2021 regarding the waste regime. Available at https://lege5.ro/Gratuit/ha3tsnbtgi4a/ordonanta-de-urgenta-nr-92-2021-privind-regimul-deseurilor
Romanian Government. (2022). The Decision no. 1214/2022 for the amendment and supplementing of Government Decision no. 1074/2021 on the establishment of the Guarantee-return System for the not reusable primary packaging. Available at https://lege5.ro/gratuit/gezdonjtge2ds/sistemul-de-garantie-returnare-hotarare-1214
Romanian Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests. (2022). Strategia națională privind economia circulară/National strategy regarding circular economy. Monitorul Oficial al României, Partea I, Nr. 943 bis/27.IX.2022, Romania.
Romanian Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests. (2023). Action plan for implementing circular economy in Romania.
Romanian Parliament. (2021). Law no. 268 from November 9, 2021. Available at https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocumentAfis/248350
Rovinaru, F. I., Rovinaru, M. D., & Rus, A. V. (2019). The economic and ecological impacts of dismantling end-of-life vehicles in Romania. Sustainability, 11(22), 6446.
Smit, P., Jandl, M., Carausu, F., & McGuinn, J. (2021). Assessment on statistical data collection for environmental crime. Final report JUST/2020/JACC/FW/CRIM/0122. Gopa Luxembourg and Milieu Consulting SRL.
Teodor, C., Tricã, C. L., Ignat, R., & Drăcea, R. M. (2020). Good practices of efficient packaging waste management. Amfiteatru Economic, 22(55), 937–953.
Tripa, S., & Indrie, L. (2021). Households textile waste management in the context of a circular economy in Romania. Environmental Engineering & Management Journal (EEMJ), 20(1), 81–87.
UNEP/EA.5/Res.14. (2022). Resolution adopted by the United Nations Environment Assembly on 2 March 2022. Information on reports and updates by the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (unep.org).
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. (2021). Romania environmental performance reviews. Third review (Environmental performance reviews series no. 53). Available at https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2021-12/ECE_CEP_189.pdf
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (1989). Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. Available at http://disasterlaw.sssup.it/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/BASEL-CONVENTION-ON-THE-CONTROL-OF-TRANSBOUNDARY-MOVEMENTS-OF-HAZARDOUS-WASTES-AND-THEIR-DISPOSAL-1989.pdf
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2012). The global partnership on marine litter. Available at https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/oceans-seas/what-we-do/addressing-land-based-pollution/global-partnership-plastic
Walls, M. (2011). Deposit-refund systems in practice and theory. Resources for the future (Discussion Paper, RFF DP, 11–47). Available at https://media.rff.org/documents/RFF-DP-11-47.pdf
Wang, C., Zhao, L., Lim, M. K., Chen, W. Q., & Sutherland, J. W. (2020). Structure of the global plastic waste trade network and the impact of China’s import ban. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 153, 104591.
Zero Waste Europe. (2019). The story of Salacea (Romania). Available at https://zerowastecities.eu/bestpractice/the-story-of-salacea/
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by a grant of the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, CNCS – UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2021-0075, within PNCDI III.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Mihai, FC., Ulman, S.R. (2024). Plastic Waste Trade Issues and Environmental Contamination in Romania. In: Gündoğdu, S. (eds) Plastic Waste Trade. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51358-9_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51358-9_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-51357-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-51358-9
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)