Glenn Wickman
THE ceramic tile trade is by far the largest and most important industry in Castellon Province.
Widely known and respected throughout the world as a stamp of quality, the material made in cities such as Villareal and its surroundings is regularly exported to Europe and beyond, constituting the lifeblood of thousands of families.
As an industry that is always looking to improve and innovate, the promised coronavirus recovery funds from the EU are being hailed as an excellent opportunity to modernise the sector and make it greener.
A business cluster grouping together 60 local companies has presented a project to build a huge refuse treatment centre to cover all phases of production, with an estimated budget of €6 million.
The infrastructure would provide a service to tile manufacturers and all its auxiliary trades, and would be built at a pre-existing industrial refuse treatment plant in Vall d’Alba.
According to spokespeople for the project, the plant would be the first of its kind in the world, dedicated entirely to recycling and reusing refuse from the tile trade to make it more environmentally and financially sustainable.
If the plans are approved by the EU, work could begin over the next year, with the plant entering service in 2024.
