Port of Barcelona Launches Delta Program for Inter-Company Plastic Recycling
Cubierto por 3 fuentesPublicado
- puerto de barcelonaEl Port de Barcelona impulsa un circuito para convertir los residuos plásticos de las empresas en nuevos recursos
- diario del puertoPort de Barcelona impulsa un programa para reutilizar los residuos plásticos de las empresas
- ports europePort of Barcelona plans plastics recycling plant
The Fundació BCN Port Innovation, linked to the Port of Barcelona, has launched the Delta program, an initiative under Circulars that aims to turn the plastic waste generated in the port area into resources that can be used by other companies. More than 40 companies in the port area are taking part in this initiative, which seeks to identify existing plastic flows, determine who generates them and who could reuse them, and thus promote industrial symbiosis projects.
A Study to Map the Flows
The project, funded by the Agència de Residus de Catalunya, is based on a study carried out together with the consultancies inèdit and Símbiosy, which characterizes the plastic flows within the port ecosystem according to their volume, condition and destination, and identifies both the generators and the potential recipients of these materials within the port area or nearby. Among the materials with potential for reuse are the film used in logistics operations and protective tarpaulins used for vessels.
A Workshop to Build Connections
To share the study's findings and begin establishing connections, more than forty representatives from companies in the Port of Barcelona and its surrounding area met at the World Trade Center Barcelona for the event 'Circulars. Conectamos el plástico' (Circulars. Connecting Plastic). The meeting made it possible to discuss the study's findings, identify the main obstacles to managing and reusing these materials, gather proposals to overcome them, and establish the first direct contacts between generators and potential recipients. Catalina Grimalt, General Director of the Fundació BCN Port Innovation, noted that the shift toward sustainability cannot be achieved alone, while Bianca Tilliger, Senior Consultant at inèdit, highlighted that the Port of Barcelona has an abundant supply of relatively clean and homogeneous plastic waste with potential demand from other industries.
Recycling Plant and Technical Training
To address the needs identified, the Fundació is offering two concrete solutions. The first is a local plastics recovery plant located at the Port of Barcelona, initially focused on polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), with sorting, shredding and washing processes to obtain high-quality recycled material. The plant will operate under a Recycling as a Service (RaaS) model, allowing companies to access shared infrastructure without investing in their own facilities. The second solution is technical training to improve plastic sorting at the source, planned for 2027, with the aim of ensuring the plant receives homogeneous, high-quality flows.
