Simon Wade
ORIHUELA Municipality is making huge advances in recycling with a 500% increase in little over 10 years.
The area covers popular expat areas such as Cab Roig, La Zenia, Villamartin and Playa Flamenca.
In 2009, some 151 tons of packaging was recycled in the municipality, but the figure rose to 771 tons by last year.
Indeed, each person recycles an average of 7.8 kilos of plastic each year, with the average in the Valencian Community being even higher at 8.8 kg per person.
Dámaso Aparicio, local councillor for Street Cleaning presented the figures and highlighted the problem of ocean pollution and CO2 emissions because of plastic packaging.
He recognized the improvement in the last decade but encouraged the continuation of improving figures.
Aparicio insisted that it is up to us all to maintain a cleaner region, as he revealed that the UMH found 90% of plastic containers in the Segura River are of domestic origin.
He emphasizes the importance of reducing plastic consumption as much as possible, and of recycling too.
Aparicio commented that “by closing the sustainable circle we help the environment.”
The presentation of the plastics recycling awareness campaign was held on the Floating Network of the Ociopía bridge, where despite plastic bottles being cleared from the river the day before, a great number had already been collected overnight.
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