Proposal to ease waste rules for Spanish companies

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1. The Popular Party proposes amending Spain's 2022 waste law because, according to its statement of reasons, current rules have raised costs for companies, especially in the agri-food sector, and created legal uncertainty.
2. The bill would change the definition of recycling to include chemical recycling, and modify the waste hierarchy to promote innovative technologies such as chemical recycling.
3. It would set reusable packaging targets for beverages: 10% by 2030 and 40% by 2040, with exemptions for perishable products, dairy, wine and alcoholic drinks, and for small companies and operators meeting certain conditions.
4. It would set minimum recycled plastic percentages in plastic packaging from 2030 and 2040, with exceptions for medicines, medical devices, compostable packaging and products for babies, among others.
5. It would eliminate the chapter on the tax on waste incineration and co-incineration, and change the rules for a possible deposit, return and refund system for packaging, which would only take effect if the 2027 separate collection targets are not met.
6. It would add measures such as banning products made outside the European Union with forced labor, allowing manufacturers to certify recycled plastic through a signed declaration, and promoting chemical recycling. The law would take effect one month after publication.

Who it affects

• Agri-food companies: Would see the economic burdens the text says the current law imposes reduced.
• Beverage manufacturers and bottlers: Would have to meet reusable packaging targets, with several exemptions.
• Plastic packaging manufacturers: Would have to include minimum recycled plastic percentages, with exceptions.
• Companies that incinerate waste: Would no longer pay the tax the bill would eliminate.

Words worth knowing

Reciclaje químico (chemical recycling)

Processes that turn plastic waste into chemical substances used to make plastic again.

Jerarquía de residuos (waste hierarchy)

Priority order for handling waste: first prevent it, then reuse, recycle, recover energy, and lastly dispose of it.

Sistema de depósito, devolución y retorno (deposit, return and refund system)

A system where you pay a deposit when buying a packaged product and get it back when you return the container.

Declaración responsable (responsible declaration)

A document signed by the manufacturer stating that it complies with the rule.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries