status of the plastics sector in Gipuzkoa

agreement with the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa

#NoPollutionByPlastics

Marta Ormazabal
Professor at Tecnun. School of Engineering. University of Navarra
mormazabal@unav.es
Know your research

Introduction

The European plastics industry, which generates more than €400 billion annually and employs more than 1.5 million people, faces significant challenges in environmental and sustainability terms. In 2022, Europe managed 32.3 million tons of post-consumer plastic waste, of which 26.9% was recycled, 49.6% went to energy recovery and 23.5% ended up in landfills. However, despite these efforts, about 3.38 million tons of plastic were not properly managed, resulting in ocean pollution and coastal accumulation (Winterstetter et al., 2023). This pollution, global in scope, threatens biodiversity and poses long-term risks to human health, making plastic waste management a global priority.

In this context, CircularEconomics emerges as a core topic economic model . This system seeks to preserve the value of materials through reduction, reuse, recycling and recovery in a Closed loop, promoting sustainability through environmental quality, economic growth and social equity (Kirchherr et al., 2023). This approach is particularly relevant for the plastics industry, whose environmental impact is exacerbated by the mass production of short-life products. This generates rapid production, consumption and disposal cycles that, added to the complexity of plastic materials, their difficult recyclability and slow biodegradability, complicate their valorization (Babaremu et al., 2022).

In this scenario, the Basque Country stands out as a relevant case study. The territory has demonstrated B in the management of post-consumer plastic waste, ranking third in Spain in terms of recycling fees and exceeding the targets set by the EU and Spanish Waste framework Directive. In 2021, the Basque Country achieved an urban waste recycling rate of 55.32%, five years ahead of the deadline to meet the 55% goal . This achievement was possible thanks to the implementation of the Integrated Waste management Plan (Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, 2023). The analysis of the territory is particularly interesting because, in addition to having achieved the targets set, it allows us to identify the challenges faced by companies in their transition to more robust rules and regulations It also offers an opportunity to explore the sustainable benefits that can be derived from the adoption of a more environmentally friendly model .

Project's goals

- To analyze the status of the plastics sector in Gipuzkoa, from a circular perspective, in order to support the transition to a local, inclusive and value-generating circular plastics Economics .

Results achieved to date

During the last year, the Tecnun research group carried out an exploratory study focused on characterizing the plastic value chain in the Basque Country and, specifically, in Gipuzkoa.

Figure 1: Plastic value chain

Through a qualitative analysis, the main challenges and opportunities within this value chain were identified.

Figure 2: Sankey diagram of the grouping of challenges and their impacts.

In parallel, by means of a quantitative approach , a detailed characterization was carried out that included the quantities of materials and plastic waste acquired and generated, the sources of plastic raw materials (both fossil and circular), the typology of materials and the available treatments, as well as the origin and destination of the raw materials and plastic waste, both in the Basque Country and in other regions. In addition, the level of implementation of circular practices and industrial symbiosis was evaluated, analyzing the results achieved in environmental, social and economic terms. Finally, through a bibliometric analysis, the capacities of waste managers and technologies associated with plastic management were examined. Therefore, this proposal seeks to give continuity to the research previously carried out, with the goal of developing strategies that offer concrete solutions to the main challenges of the plastics sector in Gipuzkoa. These strategies will be oriented to support public-private policies to be implemented in the coming years in the province, contributing to strengthen the competitiveness of the sector through the adoption of a more circular and sustainable model of Economics .

Upcoming results

Based on the above diagnosis, the needs and shortcomings detected in the plastics sector will be addressed. To achieve this, a detailed analysis of plastic waste managers in Gipuzkoa will be presented in the following areas:

• research on the technologies and capacities of plastic waste managers:
  This activity will focus on identifying and evaluating the technologies and capabilities of plastic waste managers in Gipuzkoa beyond basic recovery operations such as sorting and storage in the treatment area. In other words, the goal is to discover applications or practices of higher hierarchy of Circular Economics currently available by the managers of Gipuzkoa. Recommendations will also be made in agreement with the experiences, technologies and good practices of other relevant waste managers outside the territory.

• Study of post-industrial plastic waste streams and their final destination:
  This activity will examine the plastic waste streams generated by industries and the role of managers in order to improve knowledge on the final destination of waste. Opportunities for their recirculation will also be detected in order to support the economic, environmental and social performance of the companies. This analysis will be carried out through semi-structured interviews with managers. As a complement, information on waste management in Gipuzkoa will be analyzed from available data instructions to strengthen our findings. Current and potential synergies between the different plastic actors and possible solutions to advance towards a greater development extended producer responsibility will be detailed. 

• tool to analyze the information of managers and plastic material in Gipuzkoa:
  A technological solution will be developed to facilitate the systematization, access, organization and data analysis for decision making on plastic waste flows involving managers in Gipuzkoa. Additionally, the tool is expected to provide valuable support for the formulation of public policies, business strategies and collaborative projects aimed at a more efficient and sustainable management of plastic waste in the territory.