With Zero Plus, a project designed to reduce industrial waste, AIMME receives for the second time this recognition for the best environmental initiative of the year.

AIMME, the Metal-Processing Technology Institute, has been awarded in Brussels the “Best Life Project” prize for its project to reduce industrial waste called Zero Plus. This prize, given by the European Commission, recognizes the best environmental proposals in all of Europe completed in 2009.

Zero Plus was chosen as one of the five best proposals in the waste management category. This initiative is promoted by AIMME, toward reducing the quantity of liquid waste generated by the surface treatment industry, which is potentially one of the most contaminating. The project has managed to achieve near zero discharge at the end of the production chain, thanks to the application of Best Available Techniques (BATs) in the production processes of the galvanic industry.

“It is an honor to receive this prize on behalf of AIMME, because this is the second time that the European Commission has awarded the work carried out by this Institute” stated the director of the Valencia Regional Office in Brussels, Mr. Juan Manuel Revuelta. In 2008 the technological institute also received this recognition for the project UrbanBAT, a model for integrated waste treatment designed for the city bus fleet of Valencia’s Municipal Transport Company; in addition to reducing emissions, this effort managed to recover and reuse over 90% of the water employed for cleaning the vehicles.