March 21, 2025

Less is More: How Flea Markets and Digital Communities Can Save Cluj

Let's face it: we live in times when buying new isn't necessarily better—it’s often just pricier. As products quietly shrink and quality declines, we're pushed toward cheaper platforms like Temu, but at what true cost?

According to a recent European Commission report, 74% of European consumers have noticed shrinking products without corresponding price cuts, while over half have seen product quality deteriorate without any discounts (European Commission, 2023). Meanwhile, fast fashion remains mired in ethical scandals, from child labor to environmental damage, further highlighting the hidden costs of bargain shopping (Reuters, 2025).

In Romania, the situation underscores a deeper environmental urgency. With one of the lowest recycling rates in the EU, Romania recycles merely 12% to 13% of its waste, while over 80% still ends up buried in landfills (Balkan Green Energy News, 2023). Even closer to home, Cluj households alone generate roughly 70 kilograms of food waste per person annually, significantly contributing to the nationwide total of 1.3 million tons each year (PMC, 2023).

However, the good news is that communities in Cluj-Napoca are increasingly turning away from consumerism's endless chase, embracing simpler, greener living as the true path to happiness.

Romania's Waste Management Overview 2023

Romania: 11.3% recycling rate for municipal waste (2021)

Germany: 69.1% recycling rate for municipal waste (2022)

Flea Markets

A Place to Save Money, Save the Planet, and Maybe Find a Weird Lamp You Didn't Know You Needed

At Co-Media, we've fallen in love with local flea markets—and it's not just because they're cheap. Flea markets, such as Cluj’s legendary Oser, aren't merely places to buy stuff; they’re lively melting pots of human connection. It's a magical chaos: all kinds of people, from young students searching for affordable décor, to seasoned bargain-hunters clearing dusty treasures from their attics, gather with the shared goal of exchanging old stories (and older lamps) for something fresh—even if that something fresh is actually pretty ancient.

Take a walk through Cluj’s Oser market, and you’ll be greeted by an orchestra of sounds and voices—each stall humming with stories waiting to be discovered.

But there’s more magic to these markets than quirky antiques or passive income. They’re also unexpected hubs of community building. Imagine a Saturday spent sipping homemade lemonade, making zacuscă or gulyás, losing terribly at ping-pong, or making paper collages destined for your wall. In these relaxed, laughter-filled moments, important conversations happen. What are we missing in our neighborhoods? How can we strengthen our local bonds?

At our own Co-Media flea markets, the answer was clear: People miss simplicity, sustainability, and genuine community connection.

From Physical to Digital

Enter the Troc App

Inspired by this community spirit, we came up with Troc—a digital marketplace designed to translate the magic of flea markets into a modern, sustainable solution for Cluj. The concept is simple yet powerful: exchange things you no longer need for things you genuinely want, completely for free. Think of it as digital bartering. You trade an old bicycle for someone else's woodworking tools, an emerging artist offers their drawings in exchange for paints, or perhaps a neighbor with a van exchanges a ride for some gardening help. It’s trading at its simplest—no money exchanged, no waste produced, and everyone walks away happy.

But Troc isn't just about swapping things. It’s about building a community committed to making our city greener, more inclusive, and more conscious. Imagine neighbors collaborating to create birdhouses for their parks, planting green walls in industrial areas, organizing community clean-ups, or cultivating neighborhood gardens bursting with fresh vegetables to share. The possibilities for collaboration are endless, and every exchange brings us closer together.

Join Us in Building a Sustainable Cluj

Troc is still young and growing, but this year, we're excited to bring it to more people across Cluj. Join our small pilot group, become part of something innovative, and help create not just an app, but a digital community that's serious about sustainability, yet never too serious to laugh, swap quirky things, and share a good plate of homemade zacuscă.

Because ultimately, saving the planet might just start by swapping that old guitar for someone's lovingly-used skateboard.