Galicia recycling rates fall short of EU targets amid rising landfill use

Galicia is currently failing to meet European Union recycling targets. According to the 2022-2030 Strategic Plan for Galicia, the region's recycling rate stands at 24.6%, significantly below the 55% goal set for 2025.

Budgetary execution has also been low; of the 41.5 million euros planned for sustainable waste management and land restoration in 2025, only 13.2 million euros were spent. Domestic waste production has risen to over 1.13 million tons, while hazardous waste has increased by 25% since 2020.

Concurrently, waste sent to the Areosa landfill in Cerceda increased by 32% in a single year, reaching over 257,000 tons. Sogama, the regional waste management company, attributed this spike to a technical shutdown at the incineration plant and other unforeseen incidents.