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Spain’s recycling fail
SPAIN is struggling to meet its recycling targets set by the European Union, and a coalition of 26 environmental and civil organisations are taking action to address this issue.
According to the alliance, Spain is not on track to meet recycling goals. The group said that they will take the country before the European Commission to force lawmakers to take action in an announcement made on Thursday, March 2. The EU’s waste framework directive set a goal to reuse or recycle 50 per cent
Free bikes
IF you find yourself enjoying the capital of Spain before the end of July, why not see the city riding a free bicycle. The municipal electric bicycle service Bicimad was implemented on Tuesday March 7 and accompanied by the unlimited free use of the service with the aim of encouraging cycling in Madrid.
of waste by 2020. However, Spain fell short of this target, with figures from a government ministry indicating that they only achieved a 40.5 per cent recycling rate. In the report, Carlos Arribas, the Head of the Waste Department at Ecologistas en Acción, stated that the situation is not only failing to improve, but it is getting worse. The recycling rate for Spain in 2021 is estimated to be at 36.7 per cent, lower than the 2020 rate of 40.5 per cent. The environmental groups hope that by taking the government to the EU, legislation will be changed.
This project is aimed at giving citizens firsthand experience of the advantages offered by the renewed public electric bicycle system and is the first time that the free service has been extended consecutively for almost five months. The new model of bicycles, more manageable, ergonomic and robust and with a design focused on improving the user experience, will be progressively incorporated into the service, coexisting with the previous model over the next five months.
The free service, which will be valid for both bicycle models and all stations, is intended to accompany all users during the period of coexistence of both systems until the implementation project is fully completed. The project will ensure a system of 7,500 electric bicycles and 611 stations, all newly acquired, distributed throughout the 21 districts of Madrid.
