E-circular is an NGO working to promote the circular economy in the Republic of Moldova. They have published a brief report about the country's national circularity rate and the tools used to identify that rate.
UtilDeco Group SRL has become Romania’s flagship work-integration social enterprise.
In 2023, it linked its textiles and coffee operations in a circular-economy pilot scheme: fabric off-cuts from uniform production and empty jute coffee sacks were upcycled into OPYA Fashion, a limited-edition collection of jackets, totes and accessories.
The enterprise is now scaling circularity through two major projects, one on digital product passports in textile products and the other on hiring workwear.
ADVANCE Circular is an Erasmus+ project, focusing on linking the tourism industry with VET (Vocational Education and Training) to embrace circularity. The brochure describes the project which aims to assess the readiness of the tourism sector and VET institutions for adopting circular principles in Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia and Spain.
"Are we ready for circularity?" is part of the second stage (Mapping the Scene & Creating Bridges). It finds that despite progress in raising awareness of circularity, significant efforts are needed to overcome financial, educational and regulatory barriers. Strengthening strategic partnerships, increasing funding support and enhancing training opportunities will be vital to advance circularity readiness in the tourism and VET sectors in these countries.
The Romanian Government has approved an Action Plan promoting the Circular Economy as part of the National Strategy for the Circular Economy (NSCE). The action plan sets out a national vision for speeding up the transition to a circular economy, with measures geared to the nine economic sectors with the greatest potential for circularity in Romania's economy: agriculture and forestry; automotive; construction; food and beverages; packaging; textiles; electrical and electronic equipment; waste; water; wastewater.
The action plan has a cross-sectoral strand including promotion activities and a monitoring platform. It also stipulates 52 priority measures scheduled to be rolled out between 2024 and 2032.
The Romanian Strategy for the Circular Economy (NSCE) is a roadmap for accelerating Romania's transition from a linear to a circular economic model. The implementation of the Action Plan (to be adopted in September 2023) will provide a framework for this transition. The strategy gives an overview of the fourteen economic sectors, and identifies the following as having the greatest circular potential:
agriculture and forestry
automotive sector
construction
consumer goods (food and beverages)
packaging (glass, paper, plastic materials etc.)
textiles
electrical and electronic equipment.
The overall objective of the NSCE is closely linked to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda.
remesh is a socio-professional business workshop with an environmental impact. Most of its employees are women from disadvantaged background. The workshop is also providing a circular economy business model as they reuse advertising banners and meshes to make new products that are fashionable but sustainable.
ROCESP members include local and central government institutions, academic, research and innovation institutions, businesses and civil society representatives.
The platform acts as a network of networks, bringing together initiatives, experiences, problems and expectations in the field of the circular economy.
The platform:
disseminates knowledge
promotes dialogue and synergies between Romanian stakeholders
maps good practices in Romania
helps establish links between national projects
shows how Romania has adapted its economy to become more circular.