Alicante ramps up glass recycling drive targeting Horeca sector

SPAIN – The Alicante City Council has launched a new campaign to strengthen glass recycling across its hospitality sector, partnering with Ecovidrio to accelerate collection efforts among local Horeca establishments.

The initiative is set to engage nearly 2,000 bars, restaurants and hotels through on-site visits, awareness campaigns and the installation of specialized glass collection containers.

City officials say the program is designed to increase separate collection rates and help Alicante meet tightening recycling targets.

Rafael Alemañ, Alicante’s councillor for Street Cleaning and Waste Management, emphasized the importance of hospitality businesses in the glass value chain.

“The hospitality sector generates approximately 50% of single-use glass containers, so its collaboration is key to increasing the separate collection of glass containers in the city and meeting recycling targets,” he said.

He added that advancing sustainable practices in the sector represents a significant step in tackling climate change at the municipal level.

A key pillar of the campaign is direct engagement. Environmental educators will conduct surveys and interviews with a large number of Horeca operators to assess operational challenges and identify opportunities to improve source separation.

Ecovidrio will also provide tailored guidance on correct recycling practices and outline the economic, social and environmental benefits of effective glass recovery.

The city plans to deploy additional containers with wider openings where required, enabling businesses that generate high volumes of glass waste to recycle more efficiently.

The measures build on Alicante’s existing door-to-door glass collection system in the city center, which already serves around 200 establishments and has been described by officials as “well-functioning.”

According to 2024 data, Alicante residents recycled more than 6.7 million kg of glass containers, equivalent to 18.7 kg per capita.

The city currently operates 1,547 glass recycling containers, providing an average of one container per 232 inhabitants.

Nationally, Ecovidrio reports that more than seven in 10 glass packaging items are recycled in Spain, with annual per capita recycling reaching 19.8 kg, roughly 68 glass items per person.

The campaign comes as Spain prepares for broader packaging reforms. Last year, Tomra began installing reverse vending machines across the country ahead of a nationwide deposit return scheme (DRS) rollout scheduled for November.

Together, municipal initiatives and national policy shifts signal increasing momentum behind Spain’s efforts to strengthen circularity in glass packaging, particularly within high-volume sectors such as hospitality.

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