Spain’s waste management corporation “significantly” miscalculating collection rates, shows report 

29 May 2024 --- Spanish waste management corporation Ecoembes has miscalculated the country’s beverage bottle collection rates by almost half, according to new research by Eunomia. As a result, the EU’s Single-Use Plastic Directive (SUPD) targets are being missed and covered up, highlighting the importance of establishing an effective deposit return scheme (DRS), according to campaigners.

The report, commissioned by Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) and Zero Waste Alliance (ZWA), shows that while Ecoembes claims a 71% separate collection rate for small plastic bottles (2021), the reality is 36% — well below the 70% target mandated by Spanish law for 2023.

The groups say this is a legal non-compliance that should oblige the immediate implementation of a nationwide DRS for cans, bottles and cartons. They are now urging the Spanish Minister of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge to acknowledge the findings.

“This dismal 36% is a wake-up call for the Spanish Government. Just admit we’ve missed the mark. As mandated by the Spanish Waste Law, it’s high time to roll out the deposit return system for beverage containers,” says ZWA in a statement.

The alliance says Spain’s manipulation of recycling results is “paradigmatic at a European level.” ZWE has announced that it will take the evidence in the report to the European Commission to “put an end to the fake data blocking the implementation of zero waste policies.”

Reporting to the European Commission
The report is titled “Analysis of the Separate Collection Rate of Plastic Beverage Bottles of up to three liters in Spain.” Its three central findings are: opacity in Spain’s packaging waste data, a lack of solid methodology for tracking legal milestones in plastic bottle collection from the Ministry and inconsistencies in the beverage industry’s data.

“If recycling rates were achieved, it would be transformative. But the industry’s ongoing data manipulation hinders the adoption of zero waste policies. That’s why we’re left with no choice but to bring this evidence to the European Commission, urging Eurostat to reject these fabricated figures that stall progress,” says Joan Marc Simon, founder of ZWE.

Chris Sherrington, a Eunomia representative, says: “The data on separate collection and recycling in Spain lack transparency and neutrality. Our findings reveal significant inconsistencies in both the data and the methodologies used by the industry to falsely claim compliance with targets.”

“This serves to delay the implementation of the deposit system. The reported figures for plastic bottles of less than three liters do not align with reality as recognized by Ecoembes, nor does the methodology used to track these bottles in the yellow bins conform to European regulations. Furthermore, there is no traceability for the tons claimed to be collected outside of home settings. It is clear that Spain is far from reaching the 70% target.”

By Louis Gore-Langton

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