Tackling plastic waste locally: A Catalan success story

Cities & Communities ERIC project Rezero

Over the last two years, the municipalities of Viladecans and Torrelles de Llobregat have been at the forefront in Catalonia with the ERIC (Elevating Reuse in Cities) project, a European initiative led by Zero Waste Europe to reduce single use plastic waste and implement reuse systems at the local level.

A roadmap for change

With guidance from local organisation Rezero, the two municipalities have developed plastic waste prevention programmes. They implemented several measures to reduce single-use plastics by actively involving citizens, economic actors and municipal administrations, creating synergies to move towards preventive waste management and efficient resource use. The goal is to establish a clear roadmap for sustainable practices that protect both the environment and public health.

Awareness-raising activities, collaboration with local governments and community challenges are gradually shaping daily habits, promoting responsible consumption, and driving cultural change focused on reuse and plastic waste reduction.

In Viladecans

In the municipality of Viladecans, the campaign ‘Fes un pas, porta l’envàs’ (‘Take a step, bring your container’) was launched to reduce the use of plastics in food purchases. Promoted by the Viladecans Town Council’s Environment and Sustainability Department, the initiative encouraged citizens to shop at local retailers by refilling their own reusable containers, contributing to disposable plastics reduction. Over its 3 months duration, the campaign achieved:

82 shops signing up
115 families taking part
3,807 purchases were made with at least one reusable item
8,504 disposable items avoided, including:
- 2,856 disposable plastic containers
- 5,510 disposable bags
- 138 disposable egg cups

This campaign has been an example of how collaboration between local authorities, businesses and citizens can drive sustainable practices. Participants experienced both environmental benefits and satisfaction from reducing plastic use.

Given the high level of satisfaction shown by the participating businesses and citizens, Viladecans Town Council is considering continuing to carry out similar actions in the future within the framework of the municipality’s Climate Pact. The city of Viladecans continues to work to consolidate its position as a leader in waste prevention, with the active involvement of citizens and local businesses.

Encarni Garcia, deputy mayor of the Environment and Sustainability Department of Viladecans Town Council, emphasizes that adopting a plastic prevention plan is crucial to understand and address the volume of plastic waste generated daily in our municipalities.

“We have to join many wills of citizens and cities to move forward with this type of project and get plastics out of the mountains, rivers and seas” says Encarni Garcia.

In Torrelles de Llobregat

Within the framework of the ERIC project, Torrelles de Llobregat has expanded its free municipal reusable nappy service, offering an ecological and economical alternative to disposable nappies. This initiative has been promoted through various local channels, such as the kindergarten and other municipal communications, to raise awareness among families about the environmental and economic benefits of reusable nappies. Results include:

13 families served since 2021
4 current active users
11 families have expressed interest in starting to use reusable nappies

One of the main successes of this measure, besides reducing disposable diaper waste and providing economic benefits for families, is the high level of satisfaction shown by families using the municipal reusable nappy service. All of the participating ones report primarily using the reusable nappies provided by the service, and only occasionally use disposable ones. They also expressed great satisfaction with having this service in the municipality and regularly recommend it to other families with babies.

In addition, the municipality of Torelles de Llobregat,is working to implement a system of reusable containers for collecting surplus food from the municipality’s primary and secondary school. This food is distributed to families in vulnerable situations through the council’s social services, while eliminating the use of disposable plastic containers that previously generated a considerable volume of waste. The initiative is expected to eliminate 25 disposable containers per week.

The Mayor of Torrelles de Llobregat, Joan Juncà, firmly believes that reducing waste, and especially plastic waste, is the only way towards local sustainability. He notes that his municipality has been committed for more than 20 years to zero waste, being one of the first cities to introduce door-to-door collection in Catalonia and the first to obtain the Zero Waste Cities Certification.

A model for other cities

The ERIC project is demonstrating that local action can create meaningful impact highlighting the key role of reuse systems and plastic waste prevention measures in cities. To showcase the project’s achievements in Catalonia, a video has been produced, capturing the experiences and initiatives carried out in both municipalities over the past two years. The video features testimonials from citizens, shopkeepers and municipal authorities,alongside footage of the various plastic prevention measures that are being implemented.

The success stories of Viladecans and Torrelles de Llobregat stands as powerful examples for other municipalities seeking to adopt concrete measures toward more mindful consumption and resource use.