Spain has seen glass recycling reach a historic high in 2022 through the green bin program, with a record of more than 939,000 tons collected. This marks a 6.2% increase from the previous year, according to Ecovidrio, the non-profit that manages glass recycling in Spain. The nation’s recycling rate for glass now sits above 72%.
When the glass gathered in curbside bins, about 74,000 tons more than expected were added to glass collected at urban waste facilities. Combined, this pushed total glass recovery past one million tons for the first time, reducing waste by more than 100,000 tons. The process also generated around 723,000 MWh of energy, equivalent to roughly 150 million euros in value.
With these results, Spain recycles close to nine million containers every day, more than 6,000 containers per minute, supported by over 245,000 glass recycling containers distributed nationwide. The national average is about 19.8 kg per inhabitant, translating to roughly 68 containers for every person.
Top recycling cities include San Sebastián at 38.6 kg per inhabitant, Pamplona at 36.6, Bilbao at 26.11, Palma de Mallorca at 25.8, and Girona and Barcelona at 23 each.
72.5% recycling rate
Data from Eurostat for 2020 show Spain achieving a glass recycling rate of 72.5%. Projections for the 2022 fiscal year indicate the country will surpass the 70% target set for 2025.
Recycling of glass containers is described as a historic achievement for 2022, reflecting strong collaboration across the country in the glass sector. The production chain for glass containers is considered a socio regional backbone that can sustain nearly 8,000 stable and high quality jobs directly and indirectly. The value chain includes more than 200 collection companies, 15 glass container treatment plants, 13 glass manufacturing facilities and 3 container production sites.
Hospitality and decarbonization
The ecological glass CEO, Jose Manuel Nuñez Lagos, noted that these results would not be possible without the support of the hospitality industry. In 2022 the organization invested up to 26 million euros to provide infrastructure and private collections for this sector.
The report highlights that selective collection and processing of packaging reaches every city and town through services operated by local companies. This contributes to reducing polluting emissions and fostering local development.
Recycling this material is a key element in addressing climate change and pushing toward a circular economy. It supports a transition to more sustainable growth. The effort has already saved more than 587,000 tons of CO2 emissions, comparable to about 149 trips around the Earth by plane near the equator, and reduces the need for raw material extraction.
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For additional information, refer to the environmental department’s communications channel as noted in official reports.