Catalonia is facing an environmental challenge, as it is failing to meet the targets set by the European Union for waste recycling. The EU requires that at least 50% of waste be recycled, but unfortunately Catalonia recycles less at a worrying 45%.
The problem lies in the excessive generation of waste, with each citizen producing an average of 493 kilos of waste per year, which adds up to an alarming 3.8 million tons per year.
Although there has been a 1% improvement compared to the previous year, the trend is not positive enough to reverse the situation.
A particularly worrying fact is that more than half of the waste, approximately four million tons, is deposited in the gray container, where it is not recycled and ends up in landfills or incinerated.
This is in clear breach of European Union guidelines, which require a separate collection rate of more than 50%. Catalonia is currently at 45.3% and must accelerate its efforts to meet European standards.
Catalonia recycles less than what the regulations indicate
Failure to meet these targets has serious consequences and the EU could sanction Spain if significant improvement is not achieved.
To avoid this, the Agència de Residus de Catalunya suggests promoting the door-to-door waste collection method. This approach has been shown to have positive results in the counties that implement it, achieving high separation and recycling rates.
Cities play a crucial role in this fight against excessive waste generation and municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants can significantly improve recycling data.
However, implementing new measures can be a challenge in some cases, especially in small towns where lack of resources can make it difficult to meet standards.
New recycling measures
Door-to-door is an effective tool that has already proven successful in some counties, and its expansion is expected to contribute to improving the overall situation in Catalonia.
On the other hand, collaboration between the Administration, municipalities and companies should also be encouraged to reduce the generation of waste at source, creating more sustainable and environmentally friendly products.
Catalonia has a major challenge ahead to improve its waste management and meet the standards set by the European Union.
Collaboration among all stakeholders and the implementation of effective strategies, such as door-to-door, are key to achieving more sustainable waste management and reducing the environmental impact of our society.
Time is short and it is essential to take action now to protect the environment and ensure better management.
