www.futurenviro.es | Marzo-Abril March-April 2021 42 Gestión y Tratamiento de Residuos | Waste Management & Treatment La asociación europea de recicladores PLASTICS RECYCLERS EUROPE ha realizado un informe de la capacidad de reciclado de plásticos instalada en los diferentes paises europeos incluyendo la capacidad de reciclado de plásticos de Reino Unido. El informe concluye que cinco paises suman el 67% de la capacidad de reciclado instalada en Europa+UK, estos paises son Alemania, España, Francia, Italia y Reino Unido. En el informe además se analiza la capacidad de reciclado para los diferentes polímeros y la capacidad de reciclado del sector en España siempre se encuentra dentro de los cuatro primeros puestos, teniendo en cuenta la población de cada uno de los paises podemos concluir que cada ciudadano español tiene una capacidad de reciclado mayor que cualquier ciudadano de la Unión Europea. España es el segundo país europeo con más capacidad instalada para el reciclado de PET. España es el tercer país europeo con más capacidad instalada para el reciclado de LDPE. España es el cuarto país europeo con mayor capacidad instalada para el reciclado de poliolefinas rígidas. El sector español de reciclado de plásticos está constituido por 140 empresas de reciclaje de plásticos que en 2019 han logrado procesar 1.113.076 toneladas de residuos plásticos postconsumo produciendo 893.739 toneladas de materia prima sostenible (reciclada). Estas empresas son el último eslabón de la economía circular de los plásticos, donde el residuo plástico se transforma en una macompanies that processed 1,113,076 tonnes of post-consumer plastic waste in 2019 to produce 893,739 tonnes of sustainable (recycled) raw material. These companies are the final link in the circular economy of plastics, where plastic waste is transformed into a recycled and sustainable raw material that can be used directly by the plastics processing industry in the manufacture of its products. Recycled plastic accounts for 20% of plastic raw materials currently consumed in Spain Trends in plastic recycling in Spain The typical company profile in 1994 was that of a family business with two managers, two supervisors, two administrative staff and thirteen production workers. Large companies in the year of the association’s creation could not process more than 5,000 tonnes. The profile is completely different now, subsequent to the professionalisation of mechanical plastics recycling companies. Today, companies with a capacity of less than 30,000 tonnes per year are not being created and some companies have capacities of up to 80,000 tonnes per annum. Production, the hardest work, physically speaking, is now carried out by a plethora of machines; optical sorters, trommels, washing machines, conveyor belts and state-of-the-art extruders. The larger size of the companies has brought with it the creation of skilled and highly-qualified jobs in the areas of import-export, invoicing, sales, logistics, laboratory and water purification. The sector now provides 4,000 direct jobs. Recycling plant laboratories are a reflection of the current quality standards of the recycled raw material. The plastic waste goes through a series of processes where it is purified, cleaned and homogenised until it finally becomes a sustainable (recycled) raw material that can be used directly by the plastics processing industry as a substitute for virgin raw material of petrochemical origin. 2020 and 2021, two sides of the same coin 2020 was a very tough year for the sector. Unprecedentedly low virgin raw material prices caused the price of recycled Empresas de reciclado mecánico de plásticos en 1994 | Mechanical plastics recycling companies in 1994 Empresas Reciclado 1994 Nº Empresas Capacidad Media (t/año) Capacidad (t/año) % Capacidad Recycling Companies 1994 No. Companies Average capacity (t/annum) Capacity (t/año – t/annum) % Capacity Grande | Large 36 4.672 | 4,672 168.205 | 168,205 69,50 | 69.50 Media | Medium 32 1.483 | 1,483 47.468 | 47,468 19,61 | 19.61 Pequeña | Small 40 634 25.355 | 25,355 10,89 | 10.89 Total 108 2.241 | 2,241 242.028 | 242,028 100,00 | 100.00 Empresas de reciclado mecánico de plásticos en 1994 | Mechanical plastics recycling companies in 2019 Empresas Reciclado 1994 Nº Empresas Capacidad Media (t/año) Capacidad (t/año) % Capacidad Recycling Companies 1994 No. Companies Average capacity (t/annum) Capacity (t/año – t/annum) % Capacity Grande | Large 17 29.693 | 29,693 504.781 | 504,781 45,35 | 45.35 Media | Medium 51 9.181 | 9,181 468.225 | 468,225 42,06 | 42.06 Pequeña | Small 72 1.945 | 1,945 140.069 | 140,069 12,58 | 12.58 Total 140 7.951 | 7,951 1.113.076 | 1,113,076 100
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