Implementing circular and carbon-neutral waste management practices is essential for promoting environmental sustainability and public health. This is particularly critical in marginalized areas, where effective waste management strategies play a pivotal role in addressing environmental challenges, promoting community well-being, and fostering sustainable development. The article will explore waste management in marginalized urban areas in an integrated manner, exploring key European research domains: waste management, housing in informal settlements, and spatial information. We examined 37 Local Development Strategies (LDSs) for marginalized urban areas (MUAs) in Romania to determine whether they incorporate waste management measures. In addition, we used QGIS along with imagery accessible on the European Space Agency’s platform. This supplies Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite data. We referred to a specific urban area, namely the Municipality of Turda, selected from the endorsed LDS, where the illegal landfills are present. Based on the data presented in the LDS and confirmed with the in situ verification or remotely using street view platforms, we have determined that the identified areas indeed contain illegal waste deposits. To validate these findings, the methodology employed, along with observations and results from the Turda study area, can be extended to other territories and marginalized urban areas.

This paper presents a structured, expert-informed framework for inclusive waste management in marginalized urban areas (MUAs), addressing critical challenges at the intersection of environmental governance, infrastructure inequality, and social exclusion. The framework was developed through extensive consultations with 37 international experts and tested through a deployment plan piloted in Reșița, Romania. The framework is adaptable to site-specific realities and is intended to evolve annually based on monitoring and feedback. With a strong focus on community engagement, institutional coordination, and policy alignment, the framework lays out an incremental implementation path. The Reșița pilot demonstrates how targeted, participatory actions—ranging from stakeholder mobilization and tailored education to infrastructure enhancements and policy reforms—can drive sustainable improvements in waste management and civic inclusion. This study contributes to the literature on environmental justice and urban sustainability by providing a dynamic, scalable model that can be customized to diverse socio-spatial contexts.