Actualidad / Sala de Prensa

ASPAPEL welcomes the new Spanish regulation that defines when recovered paper ceases to be waste

Great opportunity for the entire paper and board recycling chain to guarantee the quality of its raw materials, reduce red tape and pull down obstacles that impede free circulation

ASPAPEL welcomes the new Spanish regulation that defines when recovered paper ceases to be waste

ASPAPEL, the Spanish Association of Pulp and Paper Manufacturers, welcomes the new regulation that sets out the end-of-waste criteria determining when recovered paper and cardboard intended for paper and cardboard production ceases to be waste. As David Barrio, director of Recycling and Logistics, declares “Here at ASPAPEL, we welcome this new legal instrument, convinced as we are that it is a great opportunity for the entire paper and board recycling chain because it will help guarantee material quality as well as reduce red tape and eliminate obstacles that hinder the free movement of raw material”.

Andrea Orallo, director of the Spanish Forum of Paper for Recycling that represents the paper and board recovery sector in Aspapel, believes that “for ASPAPEL, it is essential that the regulation includes the need to maintain European sector-wide standards at all times during the process of declassifying waste”, specifically EN 643 - the European List of Standard Grades of Paper and Board for Recycling - and EN 17085 - Sampling Procedures For Paper and Board for Recycling. Such compliance with European standards involves implementing and verifying a quality management system, issuing a statement of compliance for each shipment, performing quality controls, and providing information on the material that is no longer waste.

The application of the new “from waste to product” model is voluntary for each shipment but “it is hoped that it will be widely applied through mutual agreement between manufacturers and recovery firms”. Andrea Orallo stressed that “this new legal instrument will help to professionalise and modernise the sector, improve the Spanish paper and board recycling circuit, and strengthen the circular economy concept”.

Although the regulation is so far only applicable in Spain, Aspapel expects that it will lay the ground base for similar regulations being developed in other European countries and thus lead to greater harmonisation across Europe.

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Ángeles Álvarez| E-mail: aalvarez [at] informacioneimagen [dot] es
Eva de Santos | E-mail: evadesantos [at] informacioneimagen [dot] es
www.aspapel.es