Abstract. Waste management represents a new trend in the economic market. On the one hand, it is important to protect the natural environment in which everyday society carries out its activities, which is obviously a concern of the European Union. On the other hand, waste management processes represent a new business, a new opportunity to achieve efficiency processes in the use of products consumed as waste in the local market. In both cases, it is important to delimit the conceptual framework in order to recognize, on the one hand, the need for concrete and up-to-date directives that establish strict rules for waste management and, on the other hand, to allow economic operators to comply with current legislation without causing harm even without the possibility of an alternative. The aim of the present work is to analyze the nature of this area of activity and to delineate the importance, the need and the necessary measures to create an economically efficient framework that promotes the sustainable way of doing business. On the other hand, the need for awareness is equally important, because the decisive factor in maintaining normality is the individual in society. In order to comply with all the rules imposed by current legislation, it is necessary to establish clear legal rules prescribing certain behavior. Instruments such as the guarantee fee for the packaging of end-user products or the transfer of responsibility are crucial factors for good management of waste management processes.

Keywords: waste management, recycling, energy economy, sustainability, profitability.