BY UE STUDIO

Updated Tuesday,16May2023-16:28

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In Spain, recycling figures need to improve to reach the plastic recycling targets set by the European Union (50%). One of the pending tasks of Europe and its green agenda has been how to solve this great problem of plastic recycling with an economic and regulatory mechanism that supposes an impulse to promote the recycling of plastic in all territories. Estimates speak of recycling rates of 9%-12% for packaging plastic globally compared to other more common materials (paper, cardboard or glass) with much higher recycling and re-entry rates into the economy (between 60%-80%).

Plastics are much more complex in terms of recycling than other packaging materials. This is important as it means that the degree of technicality and cost incurred during the recycling process is much higher than for other materials. There is no single "one plastic", but up to seven different families and each of these families has to be recycled independently; They cannot be mixed because if not, they lose the properties necessary for their reuse.

Veolia's commitment to the circular economy and decarbonisation

The Veolia group, as a key strategic partner for the promotion of the circular economy, manages various types of waste (organic, plastic, ...) of different origins: municipal, commercial, industrial and forestry. The company's treatment forecast for Spain is more than 145,000 tons of plastic waste and about 75,000 tons of recycled plastics as secondary raw materials. To solve the great challenge of plastic and achieve the objectives set by Europe and Spain, it has two plants with different recycling facilities; The Red by Veolia located in Alcalá de Guadaira (Seville) and TorrePET by Veolia located in Torremejía (Badajoz). Through these facilities, it offers integral plastic recycling solutions for both municipal and commercial and industrial waste and thus be able to give a second life to resources and contribute to creating a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable future together.

Through its TorrePET brand, Veolia is dedicated to the production of the highest quality food-grade recycled PET pellets. TorrePET, founded in 2005, is the first company in the Iberian Peninsula capable of carrying out the complete life cycle of a bottle, making it a benchmark in the field of PET plastic recycling.

PET is one of the most used plastics in the consumer industry and through this plant more than 60,000 tons of plastic are managed per year, converting waste into new resources that are reused to manufacture new PET bottles with up to 100% recovered material and with the same quality and guarantees for consumers.

Torrepet by Veolia has its own R+D development and the most advanced technology, which has allowed it to be at the forefront of PET recycling. Since its inception, the company's production capacity has not stopped growing and offering the highest standards of food quality. Today, the company is a national reference thanks to the economic and human effort made, with about 8,000 tons of raw material and 30,000 tons of recycled PET pellets with food quality.

For its part, La Red by Veolia dedicated to the recycling of plastics (industrial, post-consumer (municipal origin) and agricultural), has extensive experience in the national and international market and is capable of treating 120,000 tons of plastic waste per year through the more than 150,000 m2 of facilities and integrated centers it has in Alcalá de Guadaira and Los Palacios (Seville).

In addition, it has several certifications to ensure the quality of the products and the care of the environment. Among them, the UNE-EN 15343 standard stands out, which guarantees the traceability and conformity assessment of plastic recycling. On the other hand, it is approved with the SIG (Integrated Management System) of Ecoembes that guarantees that the process of the recovered and subsequently recycled materials is optimal.

Plastiloop, Veolia's technical and commercial expertise in recycled plastics

Veolia has created Plastiloop, the world's first circular polymer platform to offer each customer an innovative and advanced solution to reduce their carbon footprint and save natural resources with polymer recycling and recovery. In addition, Plastiloop brings together all the Group's technical and commercial expertise in recycled plastics and becomes a long-term strategic partner to support its customers on the path to ecological transformation.

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