Valencian Government ministries are advancing a bold concept in sustainability: a 120 million euro plan to unlock the first mining project of former landfills across Spain. This approach mirrors a European Union technique that involves safely emptying aged domestic waste dumps. By reclaiming materials that were not recovered when the dumps were active—primarily aluminum, steel, plastic, paper, and biomass—these resources can be reprocessed into usable inputs with current technology.
It stands as a concrete example of the circular economy, a framework that seeks to give new life to elements that seem obsolete after their primary life cycle. Reusing these materials reduces the need for virgin extraction from natural environments and lowers overall costs for the economy. In this case, the department led by Mireia Molla has initiated the conversation as part of a broader government review of innovative projects tied to ecological transition and circular economy strategies.
The initiative is associated with a landfill in the province of Alicante. It signals a broader ambition to rethink waste handling within the region and to explore practical steps toward a more sustainable waste system.
The project proposes to reverse the environmental impact of past waste activities by applying proven techniques in waste management, including landfill mining, to recover value from stored materials and reduce future ecological footprints. This aligns with Europe’s pilot programs that aim to transform waste away from a linear model toward a more circular, zero-waste strategy.
The Ecological Transition team has outlined various technological processes that could bring this concept to life. The aim is to strengthen the latest waste management solutions deployed in the Valencian Community and to demonstrate how new recycling streams can fit into existing industrial ecosystems.
This initiative is part of a broader set of waste-related efforts the Generalitat has supported in recent years. The Valencian Community has launched programs for recovering broken glass from mixed waste streams, reusing components found in mattresses, and reclaiming aluminum and mild steel. Soon, a new robot is expected to be installed at the Picassent treatment facility to aid in the separation of small plastic pieces, further enhancing sorting accuracy and recovery rates.
A 2018 administrative map identified 182 controlled sanitary landfills nationwide. These sites represent zones where non-recyclable solid waste can be safely stored and monitored, with ongoing attention to safety and public health. The continued evaluation of such facilities highlights a shared objective: minimize environmental risk while maximizing the recoverable value from waste streams.
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The Environmental Department remains focused on advancing practical, scalable solutions for waste management and resource recovery. These efforts emphasize collaboration across regional authorities, industry, and research institutions to create resilient systems that support a transition toward more sustainable materials management and a lower ecological footprint.