Spain is at the top of European rankings for recycling household plastic. Specifically, the country is in second place—surpassed only by Germany—with 7.1 kilos per inhabitant according to Cicloplast, the industry group responsible for promoting plastic recycling.

In 2013 Spain recycled 371,218 tons of household plastics, an increase of 3.7% compared to the year before. This is according to a report published by Cicloplast, the industry group responsible for promoting recycling in Spain.

Spanish households now recycle 56.6% of all the plastic that they consume. This is much higher than the standard established in European directives, set at 22.5%.

In addition to recycling, another possible use for discarded plastic is to create fuel. Today around 9% of plastic is reused to produce energy.

Cicloplast focuses on two different areas. The first is to educate people about the responsible use of this material. It collaborates with public institutions and companies in order to make recycling more efficient. The second focus is on finding the most productive ways to recycle.

The work of recycling companies is also of utmost importance. In Spain there are now 102 recycling plants, which represents the largest such infrastructure in Europe. Of these, 40 are authorized to recycle household plastics. When this process is carried out correctly the plastic can be reused in a number of ways, prolonging its useful life and reducing waste materials.