MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY: A COMPARISON BETWEEN ROMANIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION

Abstract

This article analyzes trends in key indicators of municipal waste management and the circular economy in Romania, compared to the European Union average, as well as the relationship between economic development, municipal waste management, and the circular economy, using official Eurostat data and data reported by the National Institute of Statistics for the period 2005–2024.

Descriptive statistical analysis and the Pearson correlation matrix, performed in IBM SPSS Statistics, highlighted the relationships between GDP per capita, environmental indicators, and material circularity. The results indicate a positive and significant correlation between GDP per capita and municipal waste recycling, suggesting that economic development has favored investments in recycling infrastructure. In contrast, the relationship between GDP and the rate of circular material use is negative, indicating the prevalence of a predominantly linear economic model in Romania.

The study found a strong association between waste generated and waste landfilled, highlighting Romania’s high reliance on landfilling. Therefore, the results indicate the need to strengthen measures to integrate recycled materials into the economy to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.