Goodbye to superfluous packaging and disposable products, at least on paper. This Friday, the Generalitat presented the draft of the Law on Waste Prevention and Efficient Use of Resources, a text that the Department of Climate Action has been preparing for two and a half years and that, although it has generated consensus in the sector, is not guaranteed. let it move forward. It arrives just before the Catalan elections, and will depend on whether in the next legislature the Government and the Parliament that emerge from the elections want to continue it. The project aims to reduce waste as much as possible and encourage reuse, and to do so I have different measures that affect users, but above all, companies. From the prohibition of selling food products in superfluous packaging (an example is plastic fruit trays), or the ban on single-use products in restaurants and hotels such as shampoo units, disposable razors or single-dose butter, to a system of returning waste, such as plastic and glass bottles, or cigarette butts, in exchange for money, including the obligation for large clothing stores to have a space for selling second-hand items.
The waste regulations were a commitment that the Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda, first with Teresa Jordà and now with David Mascort, had acquired for this legislature. Entities from the sector such as ReZero and Areca, as well as employers and unions, have participated in its drafting, and although it has generated a broad consensus, the fear now is that it has arrived late and will not be continued in the next legislature: “The different political parties They have also seen the project, and it is difficult for me to think that in the next legislature it will not be able to move forward with consensus,” said councilor David Mascort after presenting the preliminary project to the entities. The law is now in process waiting to be published in public information. In Spain as a whole, the Waste Law of 2022 is in force.
The law aims for Catalonia to reduce its total waste by 15% in 2030 compared to the weight it had in 2010. And in some cases, such as the waste left by beer and soft drink containers in restaurants and bars, The aim is to reach a reuse rate of between 80% and 90% in 2035.
The first axis of the law is that it wants to put an end to the culture of disposable products. In this sense, the measure stands out, which would be applied two years after the approval of the law, to prohibit unnecessary packaging of food products, such as packaged fruit that can be sold in bulk. Single-dose food products in restaurants that are packaged in plastic will also be prohibited, such as butter units (in force as soon as the regulations are approved) and the distribution and sale of printer ink cartridges that are not reusable (from January 2025). In its desire to prevent unnecessary objects from being manufactured or those that may have a reusable alternative, the law includes the prohibition of delivering plastic bags at points of goods and services, in electronic commerce and in home delivery, as well as the distribution of single-use bottles of water or drinks in public administration buildings.
The project also foresees that in food stores of more than 400 square meters, 20% of the sales area will have to present products in bulk or in reusable containers. And in the case of online sales, it forces distributors to include a packaging-free delivery option. The law will also prohibit, starting in 2025, the production and marketing of products containing microplastics and nanoplastics. And the use of disposable plastic containers for school cafeterias or residences that contain toxic elements is prohibited.
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End of courtesy items in hotels
In hotels, it is prohibited to make single-use items available to guests, such as razors, shower caps, toothbrushes, and units of soap, shampoo or shower gel. In the case of razors, the law includes a ban from 2025 on non-rechargeable razors being sold in the Catalan market.
Another novelty of this project is that the Generalitat proposes a system for the deposit, return and return of waste within a period of two years. That is, in all the municipalities of Catalonia there must be a point where users can return plastic bottles, cans, cartons and glass in exchange for an economic incentive. Cigarette butts, batteries, waste electrical and electronic devices, and small containers of chemical waste can also be deposited in these machines. Sources from the department explain that the system will involve placing a surcharge on some of these items and then making the return, although they have not specified how to do this.
The law also attempts to give more weight of responsibility to those who generate this waste, that is, to companies: for example, producers of diapers, sanitary pads, tampons, wet wipes, non-packaged paper and cardboard, vegetable oils. used and needles and other sharp objects will have to bear the costs of waste management.
In the axis of reuse, the project plans to create centers where citizens will be able to bring their products to be reused, restaurants will be obliged not to use disposable tableware, and clothing stores will also have to make changes to their commercial spaces: those with more than 1,200 square meters must reserve a space for the sale of second-hand clothing. The law also states that both food delivery and e-commerce must include a reusable and returnable packaging option.
There will also be a focus on users, and the law includes a change in the way garbage is recycled: it will no longer be anonymous, but there will be a system to individualize users, which will include payments or bonuses depending on use. This measure would not come into force until 2027.
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