Over 14,000 tons of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) were collected during 2025 by ARCwaste Collection, a responsibility transfer organization (OIREP) for the management of this type of waste.

According to a press release from the company, the amount collected last year is similar to that in 2024, but 4,000 tons higher than in 2023. In total, since its establishment, over 40,000 tons of WEEE have been collected.

“2025 was the first year in which, in addition to the global collection target of 65% of the average quantities placed on the market in the last 3 years, the collection target for WEEE categories of 15% was applied, which will gradually increase in the coming years. Reaching the collection threshold of 65% of the average of electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market in the last three years continues to represent a major challenge. The current indicator, compared to sales of new products, does not accurately reflect the real quantity of devices that end of life and become waste. Introducing a collection target of 85% of the volume of waste actually generated, a model already applied in countries such as Hungary and Luxembourg and permitted by European legislation, could significantly contribute to increasing national performance,” notes the organization.

In the opinion of the company representatives, the main challenge for the entire local segment of WEEE collection and treatment remains the lack of municipal collection infrastructure, which limits access to waste.

“However, this is being compensated for through partner operators. However, consumers are limited in their ability to dispose of old equipment in a traceable and environmentally friendly manner. In addition, the lack of municipal collection points also leads to an increase in the illegal collection and dismantling of WEEE to extract valuable components (especially metal fractions) and the non-compliant disposal of worthless ones (plastic, rubber). The solution is to accelerate the already begun process of establishing and operationalizing a national network of voluntary contribution centers (CAV) that will function as collection points for several municipal waste streams, including WEEE,” the statement said, according to Agerpres.

Also, another challenge for 2026 concerns the certified implementation of the European standard series EN 50625 by treatment operators, a legally binding requirement, with a deadline of May 2026, and which aims to increase the quality of treatment processes, as well as ensure fair conditions for all operators.

“Romania is among the first Member States to introduce this obligation through national legislation. A significant amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) continues to be collected and treated informally, and by applying appropriate measures, it could be directed towards compliant management. Such an approach would contribute both to achieving the national collection target and to expanding and developing treatment capacities in Romania. At the end of 2026, there should also be a first draft amendment to European legislation containing a better definition of the collection target, starting from the quantities of WEEE that are generated, not from the quantities of new equipment that are introduced on the market,” the press release states.