SDG 12 | Responsible production and consumption
Spain recycled 884 million tons in 2021 and equals pre-Covid-19 levels
An infinite recycling, such is the life of glass. From a wine bottle to a soft drink container, a vase or even a basketball court. Glass is one of the most environmentally friendly materials, as long as it is given a second use, because despite its fragility it is very resistant.
100% recyclable and almost 100% inert, since nature needs 40 centuries to transform it. Just by breaking it and melting it, through the right processes and specialized companies, those 4,000 years will become “uses for life”. “The recycling of glass is to fight against climate change,” highlights Ecovidrio.
Four decades ago, green containers reached the Spanish streets and they have more and more ‘weight’, so much so that in 2021 they received “5,700 containers per minute” or “8 million per day”, according to data from Ecovidrio. “Our country has 240,302 green containers distributed throughout the Spanish geography, almost 5,000 more than in 2020,” they highlight.
This represents a total of 884 million tons of glass recovered or what is the same, almost 19 Kg per inhabitant or 64 containers per person. “This places the collection at levels similar to those of 2019, before the pandemic occurred,” they point out.
Last 2021, green containers received 5,700 glass containers per minute
A round trip that begins in the containers and can end in a basketball court. In June 2019, a total of 56,410 bottles of wine were converted on the ground to make 3-pointers and dribbles. «Glass is a 100% recyclable material and, furthermore, it can be recycled infinitely. Therefore, part of our concerns go through innovation and looking for new ways to raise awareness among the entire population about the importance of recycling glass containers in the circular economy,” said Borja Martiarena, Ecovidrio’s marketing director. in the presentation of the project.
Specifically, they were 22,000 kilos of recycled glass or what is the same 40 green containers that were converted into a sports court. The magic took place in Madrid, where the city council of the capital together with the NBA «whose processing and recycling has been carried out through an innovative and pioneering technique», recall the promoters of the initiative.
Basketball court with recycled glass. /
Six months later, the ecological commitment was repeated, but this time in Murcia. In this case, ‘only’ 18 tons of recycled glass were needed. “There is practically no difference between a conventional track and one made of recycled glass,” reveals Martiarena.
The long history of glass
Glass is one of the materials that has been and is with the human being for the longest time. Its origins go back to Syria, although the Egyptians and the Phoenicians were the main manufacturers and suppliers. Thousands of years of accompaniment and knowledge that allow, thanks to technology, to achieve a second, third, fourth and infinite lives. “The treatment of glass container waste is a mechanical and automated process, carried out by machines, with the help of human labor,” they explain in Ecovidrio.
The beginning of the trip begins with the sound of broken glass when the container falls into the green container. A route that takes you to the recycling plants that, after unloading the waste, are separated on the conveyor belts themselves. On the one hand, glass and, on the other, stoppers and corks, which cannot be given a second life in these facilities. “Crystals, glasses or porcelain tableware should not be deposited in the glass container because their composition is different and they harm the manufacturing process of new containers,” Ecovidrio experts recall.
The recycling of glass in the last two decades has made it possible to avoid the emission of 7 million tons of CO2
With all the impurities discarded, through several sieves. The glass is crushed until it becomes calcine, the raw material for recycled glass. In addition, “it requires a lower melting temperature than the original raw materials (sand, soda and limestone) and, with this, less energy is consumed in the manufacturing process of new containers,” they add.
That is why in the last two decades, according to data from this non-profit organization, glass recycling has prevented the emission of 7 million tons of CO2 and saved 24 million megawatts/hour.
Spain does its homework
Despite the fact that last year economic activity did not recover fully normally and restrictions continued to occur that mainly affected the generation of waste in the HORECA channel, the collection of glass containers through the green container increased by 5 % compared to 2020, above the increase in estimated consumption of these containers (+2%).
According to the latest official data issued by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (relative to 2019), the recycling rate in Spain stands at 79.8%. Ecovidrio has committed to a Strategic Plan that will comfortably exceed the recycling targets required by the European Union. In 2025 it is intended to collect up to 90% of the glass that is placed on the market.
In addition, the ranking of the autonomous communities with the highest recovery per inhabitant remains stable: the Balearic Islands (36.5 kg/inhabitant), the Basque Country (28.2 kg/inhabitant), La Rioja (26.8 kg/inhabitant), Navarra (26, 1 Kg/inhabitant) and Catalonia (22.8 Kg/inhabitant).
As for the provincial capitals, Donostia-San Sebastián (36.22 Kg/inhabitant), Pamplona (27.33 Kg/inhabitant), Bilbao (24.27 Kg/inhabitant) lead for their performance in terms of selective collection. Girona (22.96kg/inhab) and Vitoria (22.85kg/inhab).