European circular economy summit announced in Romania

Romania will host the Resource Recovery Summit 2026, an international event dedicated to circular economy and waste recovery, scheduled to take place in Bucharest on March 18, 2026.

The summit will bring together representatives of governments, industry, recycling companies, and technology providers to discuss strategies aimed at improving resource efficiency, recycling performance and the development of secondary raw materials markets in Europe.

The event is organized with the involvement of Romanian authorities and industry stakeholders, with the objective of strengthening cooperation between policymakers and the recycling sector.
Focus on circular economy and recycling systems 

One of the main themes of the summit will be the role of deposit return systems (DRS) and advanced recycling solutions in improving waste recovery rates across Europe.
Romania’s Deposit Return System (SGR), launched in 2023, is already considered one of the largest such systems in Europe and has significantly increased the collection of beverage containers made from PET, aluminum and glass.
Discussions at the summit are expected to address:
• the expansion of circular economy initiatives in the European Union
• improving recycling infrastructure and resource recovery
• the role of public-private partnerships in waste management
• development of markets for recycled materials.
Strategic importance for the region
The Resource Recovery Summit aims to position Romania as an active participant in Europe’s transition toward a circular economy, where materials are kept in use for as long as possible through recycling and reuse.
For industries that rely heavily on raw materials – including the plastics and packaging sectors – resource recovery and recycling technologies are becoming increasingly important in meeting EU sustainability targets.

Industry representatives attending the event are expected to explore new solutions for increasing the availability of recycled materials and improving waste collection systems across