sustainability Article Sustainable Alternative Routes Versus Linear Economy and Resources Degradation in Eastern Romania Florin-Constantin Mihai 1, * and Ionut Minea 2, *   Citation: Mihai, F.-C.; Minea, I. Sustainable Alternative Routes Versus Linear Economy and Resources Degradation in Eastern Romania. Sustainability 2021, 13, 10574. https:// doi.org/10.3390/su131910574 Academic Editors: Petra Schneider, Fengqing Li and Naveedh Ahmed Sekar Received: 26 August 2021 Accepted: 20 September 2021 Published: 23 September 2021 Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil- iations. Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). 1 CERNESIM Center, Department of Exact Sciences and Natural Sciences, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, 700506 Iasi, Romania 2 Department of Geography, Faculty of Geography and Geology, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, 700506 Iasi, Romania * Correspondence: mihai.florinconstantin@gmail.com (F.-C.M.); ionutminea1979@yahoo.com (I.M.) Abstract: This paper reveals the linear economy contribution to resource degradation and environ- mental pollution in eastern Romania that could further feed environmental crimes and conflicts, such as in the Pungesti shale gas case. Preservation of material and water resources in the region is required through various circular mechanisms under a cross-sectoral approach including solid waste as a material resource for industry and agriculture; wastewater treatment and water reuse; compost- ing and organic agriculture; and using renewables. Six non-conflictual sustainable alternative routes related to circular economy mechanisms, water preservation, and to the clean energy transition are proposed in this paper, which are further examined through key statistics and indicators, current best practices, and local development pathways in both urban and rural communities. Keywords: linear economy; circular economy; water resources; waste management; renewables; composting 1. Introduction Improper management and exploitation of natural resources lead to pollution, poverty, and geographical inequalities at the local or regional level [1]. These factors feed envi- ronmental conflicts around the world [2]. A linear economy is based on unsustainable mechanisms such as the extraction of raw materials for industry; energy sources based on fossil fuels, water, and soil resource depletion [3,4]; consumer society; and landfill-based waste management systems [5]. This economic system is obsolete in the face of climate change, resource scarcity, and the socio-economic inequalities that threaten the world. In the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2030, the shift from a linear economy to sustainable alternatives is imperative. Higher demand for resource materials, energy, and food increase the environmental footprint of cities. From around the 100 billion tons of material that feeds the global economy in a year, only 8.6% is used in circular loops [1]. Therefore, the EU supports the transition of Member States towards the circular economy approaches, enacting an ambitious plan in this direction [6]. However, this path of transition is complex and requires, in addition to investment in infrastruc- ture and cohesion efforts between old and new EU members, the involvement of various stakeholders and the participation of the community [7]. Besides resource materials, the water consumption required by agriculture, industries, and municipalities threaten freshwater resources in Europe. Around 33% of the population was exposed to water stress conditions in 2015 [8]. Both material and water resources has fed the linear economy, generating large amounts of waste, wastewater, and sludge that pollute the natural environment with- out closing the loops. The same quality standards for waste and wastewater management services are required across all EU regions to achieve a circular economy transition. Sustainability 2021, 13, 10574. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910574 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability