Spanish coastal towns vie for Ecovidrio's Green Flag sustainability award

The seventh edition of Ecovidrio's "Bandera Verde" (Green Flag) movement is underway across Spain's coastal municipalities this summer. Over 120 municipalities and more than 12,000 hospitality venues – bars, restaurants and beach kiosks – are participating to improve glass‑container recycling and promote circular‑economy practices.

Key participants include Calella, Lloret de Mar and Santa Susanna in Catalonia and Mojácar in Andalusia. Ecovidrio will install around 200 new collection containers, provide roughly 1,300 wheeled bins for transport, and dispatch about 100 environmental educators to guide establishments on waste separation, energy and water use, and sustainable procurement.

The campaign aims to curb the surge in glass waste that spikes during the tourist summer season – roughly a third of all glass containers are used during this period, and about half of single‑use glass waste originates from the hospitality sector. Municipalities and up to three standout hospitality businesses will be recognised with the Green Flag, with previous winners such as Mijas, La Línea de la Concepción, Calella and others eligible to re‑validate their titles.