The study on Plastic waste in the Republic of Moldova is developed within the Project "Plastic Waste in the Circular Economy: Community Solutions", implemented by AO Verde e Moldova in partnership with AO "E-Circular" Training and Consulting Center with the financial support of GEF SGP Moldova Small Grants Program, implemented by UNDP. This study is the first at the national level and includes an extensive analysis of the current situation and priority areas of action to reduce plastic waste pollution, taking into account the increased vulnerability of the Republic of Moldova to the consequences of plastic pollution.
If out of a total of 353 million tons of plastic waste generated in 2021 globally, 29 million tons end up being recycled, or only 9%, it is more than obvious that the current waste production, consumption and management system is a non-functional one. Precisely for this reason, one of the basic objectives of the Study is to demonstrate that recycling is not the only and not by far the most effective solution in the fight against plastic waste at the national level.
According to the study data, only 3% of the plastic waste generated nationally ends up being recycled. This result is a very worrying one with gloomy prognoses in the absence of urgent intervention from the central and local public authorities, the industrial sector, the academic environment, civil society, etc.
The data collected and analyzed form the basis of a series of recommendations reflected in chapter IV of the study and which we propose to serve the Ministry of the Environment in the development of a National Action Plan to reduce pollution with plastic waste and implement the principles of the circular economy.
