The investments are funded primarily through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). Brașov, Iași, and Cluj-Napoca lead these investments in separate waste collection infrastructure.
"It is important to actively contribute to the transformation of Romanian cities into cleaner, smarter, and more sustainable communities," stated Cosmin Monda, founder and CEO of Clean Recycle.
Brașov tops the list with a total investment of approximately €10 million for the acquisition of 275 digital ecological islands. Iași follows, with contracts secured for 327 digital ecological islands, 302 above-ground and 25 underground, representing an investment of roughly €8 million. Cluj-Napoca is transforming into a greener city with 350 digital separate waste collection islands, an investment of nearly €6.5 million aimed at streamlining selective collection and fostering sustainable urban environments.
Timișoara is also prioritizing waste collection infrastructure development, having acquired 100 digital ecological islands valued at approximately €1 million. Constanța will see 275 new eco-islands, adding to the 14 already installed in 2023, while Oradea has installed 275 digital ecological islands. Galați has secured PNRR funding for 61 digital ecological islands, an investment of about €1 million, in addition to 275 previously funded units.
Sighișoara is implementing a pilot project for digital eco-islands for separate waste collection, financed with non-reimbursable European funds through PNRR, valued at approximately €500,000.
The Ministry of Environment also launched a national program in November 2024 to install over 2,000 digitalized eco-islands in 50 localities, with a total value exceeding €260 million.