Waste management development in Moldova lags 40 years behind the EU. How it can be improved by implementing EPR mechanisms

The study covers three waste streams: batteries and accumulators, electrical and electronic equipment, and oils. EPR is provided for by the 2016 Waste Law (art. 12) but cannot be applied for lack of financial mechanisms. In the EU, such mechanisms have been implemented since the 1980s. The authors list five EPR objectives, including reducing landfilled waste, lowering management costs, and building a circular economy model. They stress an environmental fee that motivates producers, waste collectors and consumers, with the government setting the legal framework and monitoring implementation.

The authors recommend that the government set up working groups or dialogue platforms for each waste category, including civil society. In 2019, 3.2 million m3 of waste was collected from businesses and households, over half in Chișinău. Household waste collected rose 13.7% between 2014 and 2019, and in Chișinău 11% of sorted municipal waste was recycled in 2018.