- The approved initiatives seek to reduce the environmental impacts of plastic production and consumption and improve waste management, as well as R&D for ecodesign and digitalization to innovate in terms of processes and organization.
- At national level, 115 beneficiary projects will receive more than EUR 150 million in grants.
The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO), has published a new resolution corresponding to the call for subsidies to boost the circular economy in the plastic sector, within the Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE) of Circular Economy, within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR).
In the Community of Madrid there are 11 beneficiary projects that will receive aid amounting to 6.94 million euros. At national level, 115 projects out of 201 applications received with grants amounting to more than EUR 150 million have been resolved favourably. In this way, it will be possible to mobilize up to 473 million investments, between public and private funds.
Together with Madrid, the proposed projects are spread over 14 autonomous communities: Andalusia, Aragon, Balearic Islands, Castile and Leon, Castile-La Mancha, Catalonia, Autonomous Community of Navarre, Valencian Community, Extremadura, Galicia, Basque Country, Principality of Asturias and Region of Murcia
In total, 121 companies have benefited, which stand out for their commitment to circularity, which will receive grants ranging from 100,000 euros to 8.7 million per project. Projects must be completed by 31 October 2027.
Beneficiary projects in the Community of Madrid
Specifically, the promotion of circularity in the region will materialize in the following 11 projects promoted by 8 companies of the industrial fabric of Madrid:
- ROBERT BOSCH SPAIN ARANJUEZ SAU FACTORY. in Aranjuez: Set of investments and innovative technologies in the field of the industrial value chain of the manufacture of electric vehicle components, oriented to the challenge of the Circular Economy. Investment: 309,068.17 euros.
- VEOLIA ESPAÑA S.L.U. in Madrid: New technology of application to the plastic sector based on a new plasticizing machine and a new tape extrusion machine. Investment: 449,881.18 euros.
- SPECIAL INJECTION SYSTEMS SL in Leganés: Zero residue in a production process of high-precision micrometric parts made of plastic and silicone. Investment: 517,966.20 euros.
- MANAGING COMPOSITES SL in Alcorcón: Development of a technology for recovering and reusing thermoplastics in continuous fiber composites. Investment: 215,461.17 euros.
- ENPLAST SA in Valdemoro: Implementation of PET technology for the production of 100% recycled packaging in the cosmetic and food sectors. Investment: 294,758.41 euros.
- ROBERT BOSCH SPAIN ARANJUEZ SAU FACTORY. in Aranjuez: Set of investments and innovative technologies II in the field of the industrial value chain of the manufacture of components of the electric vehicle, oriented to the challenge of the Circular Economy. Investment: 255,362.19 euros.
- ENPLAST SA in Valdemoro. Replacement of Single Layer Blown Extrusion Line by Tri-Layer Line for the Optimization of the Use of Recycled Materials in High Density Polyethylene Drums. Investment: 822.471 euros.
- ENPLAST SA in Valdemoro: Replacement of Single Layer Blown Extrusion Line by Tri-Layer Line for the Optimization of the Use of Recycled Materials in Polyethylene Packaging. Investment: 320,920 euros.
- NPR SOLUCIONES SL. in Pinto: Advanced technology in the production of 100% recycled film for ecological packaging. Investment: 105,710.72 euros.
- FCC MEDIO AMBIENTE SA. in Madrid: Los Prados – Creation of an innovative recovery line for plastic polymers from banal, commercial and industrial waste in the Community of Madrid. Investment: 1.170.654.74 euros.
- ESLAVA PLASTICOS S.A and COESLA SOLUCIONES DE RECYCLING, S.L. Grouping in Alcalá de Henares: Implementation of a new post-consumer and post-industrial waste recycling line for the production of high-quality hail. Investment: 2.480.661.03€.
PERTE Circular Economy
The Circular Economy PERTE, financed through the Next Generation EU funds, aligned with the Spanish Circular Economy Strategy and the European strategies in this field, has grants worth 492 million, with which it is expected to mobilize resources greater than 1.2 billion during its execution.
The plastic materials sector in Spain is of great importance. Proof of this is the turnover of the subsector of manufacture of plastics in primary forms, which rises slightly above 17% of the total of the chemical industry.
Plastic is therefore an important material for our economy, which has an important role in many processes and sectors such as food or health, but which we often misuse, superfluous and decoupled from its characteristics and which entails a great environmental impact. About two-thirds of the world’s plastic production is used for short-life cycle products, and one-third of the plastic is disposable.
Unsustainable patterns of plastic production and consumption, anchored in the unsustainable linear economy, and the lack of proper waste management have made plastic pollution one of the environmental challenges of our time.
Curbing Plastic Pollution
According to the IPBES (Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services), since 1980 plastic pollution has increased tenfold in the ocean. It already accounts for more than 80% of marine litter. This particularly affects ecosystems and endangered species such as sea turtles (86% affection) and marine mammals and birds (43% and 44% respectively), but also economic sectors such as fishing or tourism, and has affections for our health through microplastics.