- The Biodiversity Foundation publishes a new call for PERTE Circular Economy grants to promote sustainability and circularity in the industrial and business processes of plastics, improving the competitiveness and innovation of the industrial fabric.
The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), has launched a new call for grants for the promotion of the circular economy in the plastics sector, within the framework of the Circular Economy PERTE of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR), funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU. 97.5 million and will finance the best selected initiatives, with amounts ranging from 100,000 euros to 10 million euros per project and beneficiary entity.
This call, in accordance with the European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy and the Spanish Circular Economy Strategy, seeks to prevent the use of materials, reduce the presence of additives with polluting substances, avoid the unintentional release of microplastics, encourage recycling and material recovery of waste, and promote circular models, under eco-design parameters and coordinating efforts.
The call also includes the acquisition of digital tools with the purpose, for example, of incorporating watermarks for closed cycles of food-grade polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the use of artificial vision for the separation of silicones or support for closed-loop technologies and stock control to promote reuse and reverse logistics.
IMPROVING COMPETITIVENESS
In short, the purpose of these grants is to promote the sustainability and circularity of industrial and business processes in the plastics industry, improving competitiveness and innovation, within the framework of a circular economy, which overcomes the previous linear production model.
The deadline for submitting nominations is September 23. Actions that reduce the consumption of virgin raw materials, reduce the generation of waste and/or improve waste management in one of the following categories are eligible for this aid: research and development, digitalization to innovate in terms of processes and organization, increasing the level of environmental protection of the beneficiary entity receiving the aid and improving the management of waste from third parties.
The call is expected to be resolved in the first quarter of 2025. The selected projects must be completed by October 30, 2027 at the latest.
COMMITMENT TO THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
The Spanish Circular Economy Strategy (EEEC), Spain Circular 2030, approved in June 2020, lays the foundations for promoting a new production and consumption model in which the value of products, materials and resources is maintained in the economy for as long as possible, in which the extraction of resources and the generation of waste are minimized and those that cannot be avoided are used to the greatest extent possible.
The Strategic Plan for the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience in Circular Economy (PERTE EC), approved in March 2022 by agreement of the Council of Ministers, identifies the plastics sector as a priority and strategic sector as it is a widely used material used in a large number of applications such as packaging, electrical and electronic equipment, toys, transportation and construction products, to name but a few.
The low production cost of this material and its qualities have increased its use, favoring the substitution of other materials such as cement, metals, paper, wood or glass, thanks on the one hand to its versatility and low density, and on the other hand to its mechanical properties and resistance to biological, chemical and physical degradation.
However, the abandonment of plastics in nature, the low recycling rate or the leaching of microplastics has led to a high environmental impact, especially in the marine environment. Not surprisingly, between 1.5% and 4% of the world’s plastic production ends up in the oceans every year, and plastic pollution in the sea has increased tenfold since 1980, now accounting for more than 80% of marine litter. The cost to the EU fisheries sector is estimated at around 1% of total revenues and plastic pollution already affects 86% of sea turtles, 44% of seabirds and 43% of marine mammals, according to IPBES.
ACCELERATING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
The plastics sector in Spain is of great importance, as evidenced by the turnover of the plastics manufacturing subsector in primary forms, which is slightly above 17% of the total chemical industry. In a circular economy, where priority should be given to the use of secondary raw materials, the penetration of these materials is not consolidating at a steady pace and is limited by a fragmented market, not unrelated to the behavior of virgin raw material prices.
This is compounded by the costs of collecting, treating and managing plastics, the low availability of recycled plastic polymers and the lack of available technologies for the valorization of certain polymers, additives or multilayer products. On the other hand, the small size of most companies hinders innovation, the ability to adapt production to new circular models, and the professionalization of management.
Therefore, public support is needed to encourage the transformation of the sector towards a sustainable model with special emphasis on reducing waste generation and increasing recycling rates.
