A cursory glance at the European Commission’s ‘Screening of Waste Management’ report reveals that, with waste disposal rates of 98.7 per cent, the waste, recycling and resources industry in Romania could be described as somewhat toxic. However, in spite of such sobering figures, things may be looking up for the EU’s ninth largest member state, following the foundation of Zero Waste Romania (ZWR) at the first Zero Waste international meeting last October.

The meeting, which took place at Romania’s Technical University of Cluj Napoca, brought together people important to both the waste industry and to the zero waste movement. Over the course of the two-day meeting, participants discussed topics including ‘cradle-to-cradle’ design, urban mining, closed-loop economies, eco-design, door-to-door recyclate collection, composting, permaculture, eco-villages and alternatives to incineration. The result was the development of a ‘strong resource base’ on which ZWR is now able to draw.

As with any non-governmental organisation, securing funding proved a little problematic. However, support for ZWR is already in place and with the help of Mib Prodcom – a local food business – members’ personal funds and plenty of enthusiastic voluntary work, preparations for the launch went according to schedule.

Mib Prodcom, for example, was approached with a view to supporting the organisation’s local, slow food and ‘no PET’ policy. Indeed, it not only provided sponsorship for the conference, it also agreed to establish a composting facility.

The philosophy of seeing waste as a wasted resource is at the heart of ZWR. Its body is formed of several Romanian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with wide ranging experience on environmental issues including waste management, advocacy, legislation and education. These include: the Romania Green Building Council, the Romanian Permaculture Association, and the Institute for Ecotehnology and Applied Research. They consider the concept of zero waste an integral part of a sustainable future, but realise that to succeed, the status quo in Romania must be changed for the better, on both a practical and societal level.

In an interview with Resource, Co-founder of ZWR Elena Rastei said of the concept: “Zero waste minimises waste generation and maximises recycling, empowers people and creates sustainable local, self-reliant jobs and ensures that products are manufactured to be reused, repaired or recycled back into nature.”

ZWR has a 20-year agenda that, according to Rastei, is “meant to forge the long-term thinking of [the] masses by aiming [at] inner transformations”. Though it is difficult to quantify the achievements of an organisation still in its infancy, its overarching objective is to completely overturn current results and have ‘landfill diversion’ figures of 95 per cent by 2030. Achieving such impressive figures will, of course, prove challenging. However, taking inspiration from the door-to-door recycling scheme in Hernani, Spain (see Resource 67), will no doubt stand them in good stead to achieve those targets. Plans for a similar pilot project, which will serve 650 apartments at Studium Green in Cluj Napoca, are already undergoing implementation.

Integral to ZWR is the construction of a ‘mosaic of best practices’, aimed at ‘promoting the practicality of the zero waste system’. Drawing inspiration from Zero Waste Italy (ZWI), it aims to fundamentally encourage the adoption of zero waste lifestyles, product, building renovations and waste management pilot projects. ZWI has recently brought together 16 Italian regions as the Association of Italian Zero Waste Towns, as well as convincing 107 Italian towns to commit to phasing out of landfilling and incineration.

One of the reasons behind Romania having such low recycling rates is its relative lack of infrastructure, a relic of its Communist history and the economic downturn that followed its emergence from the regime in 1989. However, what appears to be Romania’s greatest weakness, may well prove to be its greatest strength in attaining its zero waste goals.

As Rastei points out, it’s often easier to start a work of art with a blank canvas: “It’s like building a home – it is easier to build a home from the pre-designs and following some sustainable strategies, than building it halfway and then demolishing it, or just trying to re-do it in a different way. The costs are much higher, the resources require a much higher effort.”

Rastei notes that recycling rates are low as a result of “non-existent infrastructure”, including a complete lack of capacity for recycling certain materials. What is in place is somewhat ad hoc, with current sorting facilities located at the entrance to landfill sites. However, reaching their targets may not be the impossibility it first seems – recycling rates in Romania may be low, but waste generation is also at a relatively sustainable level. For example, in Cluj Napoca 700 grammes of waste are produced per person, per day, a figure far lower than the British average of nearly 1.2 kilogrammes.

ZWR’s greatest, defining and most challenging aim is arguably its attempt to change the mindset of a nation. In the final moments of our interview, Rastei sums up the philosophy of ZWR rather neatly: “Everything is possible with a good dose of enthusiasm and commitment. The best strategy is committing to the positive side of the road... To me, the future is zero waste. I want my children to grow up in a world where the word ‘waste’ is replaced by the word ‘resource’.”