Waste management challenges and resource potential in Spain

In the Basque Country, urban solid waste management faces significant stagnation. Despite EU directives requiring member states to recycle more than 55% of generated waste, the region remains below this threshold. In Euskadi, recycling rates have not reached 40%, with Gipuzkoa—the only Basque territory currently meeting EU directives—seeing selective collection rates stagnate or decline to 56.8%, a level slightly below 2019 figures. Notably, the Debagoiena region has seen its recycling rate drop by 10 percentage points compared to 2016. In Álava and Bizkaia, recycling rates remain modest at just over 40%.

Separately, oceanographer Elena Martínez Martínez highlighted the potential of marine waste during the Blue Zone Forum InnovAzul in Cádiz. Addressing the environmental issue of invasive algae, Martínez proposed transforming marine residues, such as sargassum, into high-value raw materials for fertilizers, cosmetics, and bioplastics. This approach aims to shift the perspective of marine waste from a disposal problem to a resource for a sustainable circular economy.