SYMBA at the 4th National Congress on Plastics Recycling

The inauguration featured prominent participation of Marta Gómez, Director General of Quality and Environmental Assessment at the Ministry of Education and Culture (MITERD); Rafael García, Deputy Minister of the Environment of the Community of Madrid; and David Eslava, President of ANARPLA.

Hosted annually by ANARPLA, Spain’s leading association for plastics recyclers representing over 70% of the country’s recycling capacity, the congress serves as a strategic platform for dialogue among recyclers, policymakers, sectoral associations, and European stakeholders, including Plastics Recyclers Europe.

One of the highlights of the conference was the presentation of the Sectoral Strategy for Plastics Recycling in Spain, the result of a joint effort between ANARPLA and the public authorities. The proposal is structured around four pillars:

• Resource savings and emissions reduction
• Building a single market with harmonized rules
• Stimulating demand through mandatory content, green public procurement, and tax incentives
• Improving collection, sorting, and eco-design

According to the speakers, the importance of recycling can be summed up in a series of key benefits:

• Reduced pollution
• Less dependence on external raw materials
• Boost innovation
• Alignment with European and national sustainability policies

Along these lines, Rafael García emphasized that the sector’s future growth must be based on technology and innovation.