Congress Passes Law to Contain Plastic Trash and Accelerate Recycling
Congress approved the Waste Law on Thursday. A rule that tries to reduce the amount of waste that is generated and, in addition, increase the percentage of material that is recycled, that is, it does not end up as garbage. The rule creates taxes on some single-use plastic objects and the use of landfills. It also consecrates free tap water in restaurants.
The text, which will now go to the Senate, has gone ahead with 182 votes in favor, 70 against and 88 abstentions. The senators 'review will be in early 2022, but the deputies' yes brings their final approval much closer. When presenting the project, the third vice president of Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, said that the law would "exponentially improve our reuse and recycling rates." The Government's forecast is that this percentage will be 55% in 2025, 60% in 2030 and 65% in 2035.
Because the delay in the matter that Spain accumulates is evident: the recycling rate indicated by the EU regulation is 50% and Spain moves at 34%. The average of the countries of the Union is 47%.
To cut down on the generation of plastic garbage, the regulation has introduced a tax on objects such as glasses, lids or cutlery that would go to producers and will mean 0.45 euros per kilo of plastic from the moment the text takes effect. He still has a few months left for that. In addition, businesses must charge separately for glasses for drinks, tapas and stoppers. Also the containers or boxes for food that are consumed in situ or to take away or to be taken in that same container.
The objective of the law is that in 2030 all these objects have been reduced by 70% compared to the levels of 2022 because they are the main generator of garbage. Ecological Transition has calculated that eight million tons of waste reach the Spanish seas. Most are plastic objects and cigarette butts. Cotton buds, straws, cutlery, lids and different containers.
