Do you have any questions?
At Ecovidrio, we want to be at least as clear and transparent as the material we recycle.
So, here we will answer some of the most common questions you ask about recycling glass packaging.
FQAs
Who should I turn to if the recycling of glass packaging is not being done properly in my city or if I need more information?
Contact us. We will put all the means we have available towards solving the problem.
If it is a municipality or city where we do not carry out operations directly and the town hall itself is responsible for the selective collection, we can give you the appropriate indications to forward your enquiry.
Contact >
Isn't it better to reuse than to recycle?
Reusing is a measure prior to recycling in the waste hierarchy, known as the 3Rs:
Reduce>Reuse>Recycle
At Ecovidrio we manage single-use glass packaging, so we have no responsibility over reusable glass packaging that are on the market.
Yes, reusing is a very positive option for the environment. In Spain many glass packaging items are reused in the horeca sector (beers, soft drinks and water, among others). These glass packagings are transported by the producer to a washing plant and are refilled.
The reusing process, just like recycling, involves transportation. In addition, water and chemicals are required for washing. Therefore, it is impossible to establish in general terms which is a better option for the environment, as it also depends on the geographical situation, among other factors.
In the case of glass, waste is recycled in its entirety, producing another that is exactly the same as the former an infinite number of times. Find out more!
Find out more about recycling>
Questions about the system
Why recycle if I already pay my taxes?
The rubbish collection tax paid by citizens to the town hall finances the service of collecting domestic waste that has not been selectively separated and to cleaning the streets.
The collection of glass packaging waste is 100% financed by Ecovidrio.
It is important to provide more and clearer information about how the citizen's taxes are spent.
Who is responsible for recycling glass packaging: Ecovidrio or my town hall?
Your town hall has the competences and obligation to manage municipal waste. It is a citizen's right.
In the case of glass packaging waste (other fractions do not operate the same), your town hall can decide to take care of collecting and transporting the waste to the treatment plant. In this instance, Ecovidrio is responsible for financing the service.
However, your town hall may have decided to delegate the management of all the operations to Ecovidrio (placing bins, collection, solutions for the horeca sector and so on). In this case, we take charge at zero cost for the municipality.
Here we explain the competences of all those involved in the system.
See competences >
And carry out a search on whether it is your town hall or Ecovidrio carrying out these tasks in your city.
Search >
What is the Green Dot?
It is the main source of funding for the recycling system in Spain, and it is based on the fees paid by the packaging companies for the amount of waste they place on the market.
It is a symbol with two intertwined arrows that appears on the labels of single-use glass packaging we purchase in shops and supermarkets.
You have all the information here >
What is an Integrated Management System (IMS) or a Collective System of Extended Producer Responsibility?
This is the system by means of which companies that place waste on the market comply with the legal obligation of properly managing it.
Ecovidrio is a Collective System of Extended Producer Responsibility, in this case engaged in recycling glass waste. However, other actors need to become involved, such as the public administrations, packaging companies and citizens, for the system to work successfully.
Here we explain how it works and the relevant legislation >