Corbeanca's 2026 household waste tax, plus 10 lei for public areas. For a family of four: 168 lei a month.
RetuRO's system has run since November 2023: 0.50 lei on each drinks container of 0.1–3 litres. Return it at a shop and get it back.
Ilfov County Council is handing out about 290,000 bins and more than 127,000 composters. First wave: 20 localities, including Balotești and Corbeanca.
Waste at a villa in Ilfov: the short answer
In Ilfov, household waste is a local service. Each town or commune organises collection, usually through its own public company or a contracted operator, and charges each household a sanitation tax or fee. Behind the scenes, an intercommunity association, ADIGIDI Ilfov, signs the contracts for sorting, treatment and landfill on behalf of its members.
At home, you are expected to separate at least recyclables from residual waste. Drinks bottles and cans carry a 0.50 lei deposit that you get back at the shop through the RetuRO deposit-return system. Bulky items, electronics, garden waste and building rubble each have their own route.
In plain words: register with the town hall for the sanitation tax as soon as you move in, keep two or three bins at home, take bottles and cans back to the shop, and ask the local operator how it collects the rest.
Waste fees are one line in a villa's running costs; the full picture is in our guide to annual villa upkeep costs, and the water, sewer and power networks are covered in utility connections in Ilfov.
Who does what in Ilfov
| Who | Role |
|---|---|
| The town hall (primăria) | Sets the sanitation tax by local council decision and collects it; registers each household's declaration |
| The local operator | Collects household and recyclable waste on a schedule; offers paid extras such as garden-waste bags or rubble collection |
| ADIGIDI Ilfov | Intercommunity association of 38 members (the County Council, 6 towns and 31 communes); signs the delegation contracts with operators and monitors them |
| ECO SUD and IRIDEX GROUP | Under ADIGIDI contracts: sorting of recyclables, mechanical-biological treatment of residual waste, and landfill |
| Ilfov County Council | Runs the EU-funded integrated waste management project: bins, composters, trucks and weighing systems |
What is changing. In September 2026, the County Council moved to hand over to ADIGIDI and the town halls about 290,000 bins and containers for recyclables and household waste, more than 127,000 home composters and 31 collection trucks with weighing systems, according to Buletin de București. The first wave covers 20 localities, including Balotești, Corbeanca, Mogoșoaia, Buftea and Chitila. Otopeni, Voluntari, Snagov and Tunari were not included for now. The equipment is to be managed by ADIGIDI until the service is delegated to an operator.
If your commune is on the list, ask the town hall when the free bins and composter will arrive.
What it costs: one commune as an example
Taxes and fees differ by commune, so there is no single Ilfov price. As an example, here are Corbeanca's published 2026 figures, from the website of its operator, Trans Auto Corbeanca, a company owned by the commune.
| Item (Corbeanca, 2026) | Price |
|---|---|
| Household waste collection tax, individuals (paid to the town hall, local council decision HCL 9/2026) | 32.00 lei per person per month |
| Special sanitation tax for public areas | 10.00 lei per person per month |
| Garden-waste bag, 120 litres | 10.16 lei per bag |
| Rubble collection, 120-litre bag (max. 15 bags a month per household) | 25.00 lei per bag |
For a family of four, the two monthly taxes come to 168 lei a month, about 2,016 lei a year. Your commune may charge more or less.
What comes next. In October 2026, ADIGIDI asked local councils to approve higher tariffs from 1 January 2027 for sorting (about 15% more), treatment (about 15%) and landfill (about 6%), according to the notice published by Corbeanca town hall. These are tariffs per tonne paid by the commune, but the notice says they will feed into the 2027 sanitation tax. Landfilled waste also carries a circular economy contribution under Law 175/2023, listed by the Corbeanca operator at 160 lei per tonne before VAT.
Every kilo of residual waste costs the commune money, and in time the households. The county's new weighing systems point the same way.
Sorting at home: what goes where
Each operator publishes its own guide, and the details differ. The common principle:
Register at the town hall, sort at home, and take the bottles back to the shop.
| Stream | What goes in | Practical tip |
|---|---|---|
| Recyclables | Paper and cardboard, plastic packaging, metal cans, depending on the operator's rules | Flatten boxes; empty and rinse packaging lightly |
| Glass | Jars and bottles without a deposit | Ask the operator whether it collects glass at the door or only in street containers |
| Garden and food waste | Grass, leaves, branches; kitchen scraps where there is a bio service | A home composter handles most of it for free |
| Residual waste | What cannot be recycled | This is the stream that costs the most to treat |
| Deposit packaging | Bottles and cans with the deposit logo | Back to the shop, not into any bin |
The law requires separate collection. Under Emergency Ordinance 92/2021 on the waste regime, waste holders must collect waste separately and not mix it (art. 16), separate collection covers at least paper, metal, plastic and glass, and textiles since 1 January 2025 (art. 17), and local authorities must set the sanctions for service users who do not separate properly. In practice, start with the guide of your local operator and the regulation of your commune.
RetuRO: the 0.50 lei bottle deposit
Romania's deposit-return system (SGR), run by RetuRO under Government Decision 1074/2021, started on 30 November 2023.
- What is covered: single-use drinks packaging made of glass, plastic or metal, from 0.1 to 3 litres, such as water, soft drinks, juice, beer, wine and spirits.
- How to recognise it: the packaging carries the deposit logo ("Ambalaj cu garanție").
- How much: 0.50 lei per container, added to the price at the till.
- How to get it back: return the empty container, ideally not crushed and with the label intact, at a return point in a shop. Many shops have reverse vending machines that issue a voucher or receipt; others take containers back by hand.
- What not to do: do not put deposit packaging in the recycling bin. You lose the deposit, and the system loses a container it could have recycled.
Six bottles a week means 3 lei a week in deposits, about 156 lei a year, which comes back only if the bottles go back.
Bulky waste, electronics, garden waste and rubble
Bulky waste (old furniture, mattresses): the county project includes equipment for collecting special streams, including bulky and hazardous household waste. Until it reaches your commune, ask the local operator. Many offer collection on request, sometimes for a fee.
Electronics and appliances (WEEE): under Emergency Ordinance 5/2015, when you buy a new appliance, the seller must take back your old one of an equivalent type free of charge if you ask. Shops with at least 400 m² of sales space must also accept very small electronics free of charge, without a purchase. Some operators also collect electronics: Corbeanca's, for example, collects them free once a month by appointment.
Garden waste: a villa garden produces a lot of it in spring and autumn. A composter takes care of leaves and grass cuttings. For the rest, operators usually sell marked bags. Our guide to a garden in Ilfov's dry summers covers the garden itself.
Building rubble: rubble from small works does not go in the household bin. Ask the operator for rubble bags or a skip, and for larger works make the builder responsible for removing it in the contract.
Moving in: a short checklist
- Declare at the town hall within the deadline set locally. The sanitation tax is usually based on the number of people in the household.
- Ask the operator for the collection days, the sorting guide and the price list.
- Find out whether county bins and a composter are coming to your commune, and when.
- Plan a bin area: shaded, close to the gate, out of reach of dogs and wild animals.
- Keep a box for deposit bottles next to the kitchen.
- Store the operator's phone number for bulky waste and electronics.
- In a gated community, ask the management whether waste is collected at each house or at a common point, and whether the fee is in the management charges. Our guide to fees and management in gated communities explains what is usually included.
Frequently asked questions
Who collects household waste in Ilfov?
Each town or commune organises it, through its own public company or a contracted operator. Sorting, treatment and landfill run under contracts signed by ADIGIDI Ilfov, the intercommunity waste association of 38 members.
How much is the waste tax for a house in Ilfov?
It depends on the commune. In Corbeanca in 2026, an individual pays 32 lei a month for household waste collection plus 10 lei a month for public areas, so 168 lei a month for a family of four. Ask your town hall for the current local council decision.
How does the RetuRO deposit work?
You pay 0.50 lei extra for each drinks container of 0.1 to 3 litres in glass, plastic or metal with the deposit logo. Return the empty container at a shop's return point and you get the 0.50 lei back, usually as a voucher or receipt.
How do I get rid of an old fridge or sofa?
For an appliance, the shop where you buy a new one must take the old one back free of charge if you ask. For furniture and mattresses, ask the local operator about bulky waste collection; many communes offer it on request.
Do I have to sort waste at home in Romania?
Yes. Separate collection is a legal obligation under Emergency Ordinance 92/2021, at least for paper, metal, plastic and glass, and textiles since 2025. Local regulations add the details and the sanctions, so follow your operator's guide.
The bottom line
Waste at a villa in Ilfov is simple once it is set up: a declaration at the town hall, two or three bins, a composter in the garden and a bag of bottles for the shop. The costs are modest but rising, and they will increasingly follow how much residual waste a household produces.
If you are moving to a villa near Bucharest, with us or anywhere else, book a 30-minute call with me. We will go through the running costs of the home, including the ones nobody lists in the brochure.
Moti Azulay, Compass Group Romania
Sources: ADIGIDI Ilfov and the county integrated waste project (Financial Intelligence, 17 February 2025) · Buletin de București: bins, composters and trucks for 20 Ilfov localities (28 September 2026) · Corbeanca town hall: proposed waste tariffs from 1 January 2027 · Trans Auto Corbeanca: taxes and tariffs 2026 · RetuRO launch of the deposit-return system (RevistaBiz, 30 November 2023) · Emergency Ordinance 5/2015 on WEEE (avocatnet.ro) · Emergency Ordinance 92/2021 on the waste regime, consolidated text (rubinian.com)
This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. The figures are correct as of 22 October 2026. Waste taxes and services differ by commune; check the current local council decision and your operator's rules.
Now you know more.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult local professionals before any transaction.
