Garbage bags now have a birthplace: Pedrola, a town in Zaragoza. There, Sphere España, the Spanish arm of the French group, inherited Biel Manufacturing and established Europe’s most advanced factory for domestic bags and other flexible packaging, including options with biodegradable, compostable, and high recycled content materials. Officially inaugurated this week, the new facility represents an investment exceeding 32 million euros and adds 35 jobs to a workforce already surpassing 300 employees.
The launch ceremony drew more than 350 attendees, spanning customers and suppliers, many from France, along with representatives from industry employer associations. Attendees included the Aragon regional president and vice president, Javier Lambán and Arturo Aliaga, the economy minister, Martha Gastón, the government’s official in society affairs, Serrano Rose, and Pedrola’s mayor, Manuela Berges. Accompanying them were Sphere executives from around the world and Spain, John Persenda and Alfonso Biel, who underscored the French group’s clear commitment to the autonomous community. The event concluded with a performance by Zaragoza-based dancer Miguel Ángel Berna.
The new plant triples the company’s production capacity, offering more than 12,000 square meters dedicated to manufacturing at its former Utebo facility and expanding to 32,000 square meters in the new site. The project sits on a 140,000-square-meter plot, laying the groundwork for future expansions and additional investment opportunities.
The factory is designed around circular economy principles and incorporates a range of advanced features: energy-efficient processes, automated production lines, and high-rise warehouses reaching beyond 25 meters to support three-layer co-extrusion. It also includes a real-time monitoring system, sophisticated dynamic management, and a smart warehouse that spans 8,300 square meters. The facility uses ten autonomous guided vehicles to move pallets and manage logistics, with a total capacity for 12,500 pallets.
In line with sustainability goals, the site aims to be zero waste, recycling post-industrial polyethylene and bioplastics and reintegrating any leftovers back into production. The project also highlights substantial infrastructure investments and cutting-edge technology. Eight new extruders were added, along with nine extruders for bag production and four for bio-based material rolls. As a result, annual production is projected to rise from 32,000 tons to 38,000 tons, with current operations running at about 95 percent of capacity.
Executives emphasized the growth potential at Pedrola, noting the company’s leadership in its sector and its aspiration to compete effectively in European and North American markets. Biel described the Pedrola facility as the project of his life and stated that it should be a source of pride for Aragon, underlining the strategic importance of the site for regional industry and employment.