The State of Municipal Waste in Catalonia
It’s been reduced, but we need to do more.
The European Union (EU) has implemented extensive legislation on waste management with the aim of promoting a circular economy. This regulatory framework includes legally binding targets to increase the reuse and recycling of various waste streams. According to data from 2023, 3.77 million tons of municipal waste were generated, marking a 1.7% decrease compared to 2022. This reduction trend has been consistent since 2019.
Waste Generation Per Capita
The waste generation rate per capita stands at 477 kg/person/year. The current regulation sets a goal to reduce waste generation by 13% by 2025, compared to 2010 levels. To date, a 14% reduction has been achieved, demonstrating a decoupling of waste generation from economic growth, as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Factors Influencing Waste Generation
Various factors influence waste generation, including inflation, environmental awareness, technological development, and consumption trends. In 2023, 431,487 tons of light packaging waste were collected, with an average of 54.6 kg per inhabitant.
Quality of Selective Collection
Selective waste collection presents challenges, as contaminants can affect recycling quality. It is estimated that the impurity rate in paper-cardboard waste is 6%, while for glass, it is 2%. Although the quality of organic waste has improved, the impurity rate in light packaging waste increased by 1.5 percentage points, reaching 31.8%.
Destinations of Generated Waste
Of the total generated waste, 40.3% is sent for recycling processes. The mixed waste collected as residual fraction undergoes mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) before being managed. Approximately 31.7% of municipal waste, equivalent to 1.195 million tons, was sent to landfills, although this has been steadily decreasing since 2018. Current regulations stipulate that by 2035, only a maximum of 10% of generated waste can be sent to landfills.
Conclusions
The trends in waste generation show reductions in both absolute and per capita terms. In 2023, per capita waste reduction reached 14% compared to 2010, meeting the target set by Law 7/2022. Selective waste collection reached 46.7%, with an estimated recycling rate of 40.3%. However, to achieve the 55% recycling target by 2025, progress must be accelerated. Currently, 31.7% of generated municipal waste is still being sent to landfills, and efforts must continue to reduce this figure in the coming years, considering that 25.5% of the residual fraction does not receive proper treatment before final disposal.
As the EU advances towards a circular economy, effective waste management becomes crucial to achieving a more sustainable future.
Source: “Key Figures 2023 on Municipal Waste Management. Data Report for Catalonia. Information compiled as of July 7, 2024.”
