SPAIN – The Government of Catalonia has officially recognized the severe environmental impact of plastic pollution by committing to enforce regulations against plastic pellet dumping, a growing issue on the coast of Tarragona.
This move comes in response to ongoing spills that have continued to mar the region despite previous voluntary measures to curb pollution.
Good Karma Projects and the Surfrider Foundation Spain, both non-profit organizations, have hailed the government’s resolution as a crucial milestone.
They argue that earlier voluntary measures have failed to reduce plastic pollution, and they view the new mandatory regulations as a necessary step forward.
However, they stress that the government must ensure these regulations are strictly enforced and their effectiveness is thoroughly monitored.
Xavier Curto, coordinator of Surfrider Spain, emphasized the significance of this development in an interview with ‘Packaging Insights’.
He noted, “Associations and the social sector have promoted what we consider a precedent against plastic pollution.
“For the first time, mandatory measures regarding pellet dumping have been established for companies in the plastic value chain. These measures are even ahead of European regulations.
“Surfrider has been lobbying for years for mandatory measures for companies. This victory would not have been possible without the joint work with Good Karma Projects and the excellent legal work of the INSTA team.”
According to an official press release, the Government of Catalonia’s resolution will require detailed identification of areas within facilities where pellet leaks and losses can occur.
It will also mandate comprehensive documentation of handling operations, the estimated amount of pellets released into the environment, and the equipment installed to prevent, contain, and clean up such leaks.
The resolution underscores the importance of rigorously regulating the plastic value chain and highlights the resource burden of addressing this issue.
However, the organizations stress that much of the effort to promote these changes has fallen on civil society, with limited action by companies responsible for the environmental damage.
They argue that without proper reparations from these companies, the financial burden of environmental restoration will continue to fall on the public administration and, ultimately, on citizens.
Despite these challenges, the organizations commend the government for initiating the proceedings following last year’s report, conducting the necessary investigations, and imposing mandatory prevention measures.
Among these measures are the hermetic sealing of hoses and pipes, the use of tear-resistant packaging, the installation of sealed containers or external silos for storage, and the implementation of automated transport systems and industrial cleaning tools.
The Catalan government has begun incorporating these new environmental authorizations for infrastructure handling pellets, mandating businesses to adopt these measures to minimize the risk of environmental contamination.
However, they also highlight the difficulty of tracing the origins of pellet spills, whether from land, sea, shipping losses, or other Mediterranean countries.
The organizations call for stricter and more effective regulations to combat environmental pollution in light of these challenges.
They note that several of the newly implemented measures align with proposed EU regulations, which could set a positive precedent for long-term environmental protection. However, they also point out that there has been no comparable regional, state, or European action.
“At a key moment when the regulation of the plastic value chain is being debated, the situation in Tarragona shows the need to implement mandatory measures,” the organizations conclude.
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