On the several occasions my job gave me to travel the country far and wide, I was unpleasantly surprised by how not-educated-enough people throw their garbage in the most inappropriate places. During those times a saying I cannot agree with would come to mind automatically: “Beautiful country, too bad it’s inhabited!”. Waste management has been and continues to be a problem without a proper solution.
I keep remembering the old ‘ long gone ‘ days, when I was a child, and the waters of Mureș River were invaded by garbage, even though there were signs that read ” The sorage of household waste is not allowed! ” Somehow we all knew that after our neighbors finished cleaning their backyards, they would throw the remaining trash in the water. It was kind of a tradition. They all were sure that at the beginning of spring, after the snow will melt, the water will clear those heaps of messy “stuff”.
And now, after 30-35 years, everytime I wonder if things have changed, the unencouraging reality hits me and I realise that we are still far from being a civilized nation by conscience and not by law. Waves of civilization come from the West and the adequate behaviour passes over us, like in “Glossa” by Eminescu (“a wave like a wave passes”), without changing us in any way. At least at this chapter we are truly steadfast as a rock (a tiny dose of bitter sarcasm).
And I still refuse to let it go, preferring to seek the error in this equation. Looking at our neighbors from the West, I cannot help but remember how our professors showed us the principles of ecology and told us that the maintenance of a clean environment is very expensive, which I can only agree with.
We are in a transitional state that seems to last forever. We closed the classic dumps because they were not ecological (required by EU law) and we replaced them with modern ones that are insufficient to meet the needs of the communities. We are required to collect garbage selectively, but we do not get to see any significant results. Why? Because the population must be encouraged to do one thing, not only obliged. Reality shows us that punitive actions are not effective all the time. While in big cities things have improved, in small communities there will never be enough “guns” to safeguard the environment.
Every town hall promises discounts for its town inhabitants on waste management taxes if we sort plastic from paper and aluminum, but when the bill comes we see that the “megadiscount” is no more than 1 dollar! Furthermore, there are machines at certain stores that recover aluminum doses rewarding us with 0,04 dollars for each dose returned. Guys, the effort is much bigger than the reward and this way we do nothing! We only lose our time!
In Brașov county the only eco-friendly dump we have is in Săcele! In such conditions, it’s no surprise that the people from far located villages choose unconvetional ways to get rid of their trash, this actions having disastrous effects on the environment. I think the authorities must put aside their egos and interests and establish new storage centers in order to truly facilitate and stimulate activities that have as purpose the maintenance of a clean environment.
Unfortunately, as it is at other chapters, the legislation is ok, but the reality is “killing us”! (if you are not convinced enough click on this link: http link://www.mmediu.ro/beta/domenii/gestionarea-deseurilor/)
I say Hello, on this occasion, to all the actions of civil society undertaken regarding this, but let us not forget the saying “A single flower cannot bring the spring”!
Claudiu PAȘCA