EU Directive 2018/851 requires Member States to achieve a minimum 70% recycling rate for construction and demolition waste by 2025. Romania is currently behind this target, with a national recycling rate of approximately 46% in 2023, according to data from the Ministry of the Environment.

The new national legislation, strengthened through Government Emergency Ordinance (GEO) 92/2021 and its 2024 amendments, obliges construction contractors to submit detailed waste management plans for every project valued at over 900,000 lei. Penalties ranging from 40,000 to 70,000 lei are imposed for non-compliance, and inspections have been intensified through joint actions by the National Environmental Protection Agency (ANPM) and the Environmental Guard.

To support compliance with the new requirements, the Environmental Fund Administration (AFM) has launched a financing line for the purchase of mobile sorting and crushing equipment, with an allocation of 60 million lei in 2024. According to Eurostat data, recycling concrete, asphalt, and bricks can reduce by more than 50% the volume of waste sent to landfills and lower the transport costs of new materials by 30%.

The implementation of separate collection systems and partnerships with authorized operators is becoming essential. Looking ahead to 2030, Romania must adopt a circular and integrated approach to construction material flows in order to remain competitive and compliant with European regulations.

(Photo: Freepik)