Digitized ecoislands for separate waste collection to be installed in Romanian localities under EUR 260 mln project

Dozens of towns and other localities across Romania will receive digitalized eco-islands for waste collection after an EUR 260 million project initiated by the Environment Ministry. The funding for the program is provided through the EU-backed National Recovery and Resilience Plan, or PNRR.

The first eco-islands were installed in the towns of Dărmănești and Moinești, Bacău county, in eastern Romania on Friday, November 8. Environment minister Mircea Fechet and Senate president Nicoale Ciucă, along with local authorities and representatives of the companies Ax Perpetuum and Techbolide, were present at the event.

The two companies won a significant portion of the Ministry of Environment’s bidding process and will implement these solutions in 50 municipalities, including major cities like Bacău, Alba Iulia, Sighișoara, Suceava, Deva, and Predeal.

In total, the two companies will install 2,159 eco-islands designed specifically for separate waste collection.

The program will continue to roll out in other administrative territories, with ongoing installations gradually expanding the project nationwide.

“Digitalizing and, most importantly, making the waste management system more efficient is an important goal for Romania. We have several ambitious targets to meet, such as achieving a 55% rate of preparation for reuse and recycling of municipal waste by 2025, and reducing the amount of municipal waste sent to landfills to 10% by 2035,” said Mircea Fechet.

The program includes three types of eco-islands of various sizes, both above and underground, that address all five types of waste fractions, namely biodegradable, residual, plastic and metal, glass, and paper and cardboard.

“These systems comprise the hardware solution, access control elements, as well as the master application for local authorities and a dedicated app for citizens. This is a complex project where we use all our accumulated experience in both developing customized solutions and collaborating with local authorities,” stated Techbolide CEO Mădălina Smochină.

All eco-island types will include a digital component, consisting of the hardware system and software platform. This digital component enables access control to the eco-islands, records each user’s actions, ensures reporting for authorities, and can be interconnected with a mobile application for individual users. It also monitors the operational status and emptying frequency of the containers, manages data for authorities and waste management companies, and offers numerous additional features.

(Photo source: press release)