The municipality joins the seventh edition of the Green Flags Movement, which recognises glass recycling in hospitality. It competes with 45 Andalusian towns and over 120 across Spain.
The Torremolinos City Council and more than a hundred hospitality businesses in the municipality have joined the seventh edition of the Green Flags Movement promoted by Ecovidrio. The initiative, which takes place during the summer months, aims to distinguish coastal towns and their establishments for their commitment to recycling glass containers and the circular economy.
Specifically, 103 restaurants, bars and beach bars in Torremolinos are participating this year in the campaign, as confirmed by the Councillor for the Environment and Circular Economy, Francisco Cerdán. The councillor has thanked the involvement of the local hospitality sector, which he referred to as the "Horeca channel", for joining an initiative with which the council is working "to achieve this recognition".
Torremolinos will compete with up to 45 municipalities in Andalusia and over 120 across Spain for one of the nine Green Flags for Sustainability awarded by Ecovidrio. In this edition, two of these awards will go to Andalusian towns, while the rest will be distributed among the Balearic Islands, Catalonia, the Valencian Community, and the Region of Murcia.
One of the new features this year is that the municipality in each autonomous community that scores the highest in the evaluated parameters will receive an environmental awareness campaign in its streets. Cerdán explained that this action will serve to "promote the circular economy and reinforce citizens' commitment to recycling".
Additionally, Ecovidrio will recognise three hospitality establishments in Andalusia for their good environmental practices. Their initiatives in waste recycling management, energy and water consumption, and commitment to sustainable purchasing, among other variables, will be evaluated.
The campaign responds to the increase in glass container generation in coastal areas during the summer, a time when one-third of the containers put into circulation throughout the year are consumed. According to Ecovidrio's data, nearly 50% of single-use glass container waste comes from the hospitality sector, making their participation essential for advancing towards a more circular model with lower carbon emissions.
To support the participating municipalities and establishments, Ecovidrio will install 200 new containers and deliver nearly 1,300 wheeled bins to facilitate waste transport. Environmental and circular economy training will also be offered to hospitality workers, with around 100 environmental educators visiting the bars, beach bars, and restaurants involved throughout the summer.
In Andalusia as a whole, this edition of the Green Flags Movement has allowed for the collection of 14,600 tonnes of glass containers. Recycling these waste materials has prevented the emission of over 8,400 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, stopped the extraction of more than 17,500 tonnes of raw materials, and saved 10,400 MWh of energy, according to data provided by the managing entity.
For the residents of Torremolinos, this participation reinforces the image of the municipality as a destination committed to sustainability, a value increasingly demanded by tourists. The collaboration between the City Council and local hospitality workers also aims to involve citizens in the selective waste separation, so that the effort made in establishments continues in homes.
The results of the campaign will be known at the end of the summer when Ecovidrio announces the municipalities awarded the Green Flag. Until then, the 103 establishments in Torremolinos will continue working on the proper management of their glass containers, with the support of the council and the environmental educators who will visit them in the coming weeks.
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