Calpe Town Council and more than 161 local establishments will compete this summer to win the Green Flag of sustainability from Ecovidrio. The non-profit organisation in charge of managing the recycling of glass packaging waste in Spain is holding the fifth edition of the #GreenFlagsMovement, which aims to highlight and recognise the commitment of the local hotel and catering industry and town councils to recycling glass packaging, protecting the environment and moving towards sustainable development.
Calpe will compete this year with up to 40 Valencian municipalities with the aim of winning one of the two Ecovidrio Green Flags of Sustainability that will be awarded in the Valencian Community and that already got l'Alfas del Pi and Finestrat during the last edition. A campaign that Ecovidrio launches every summer because during these summer months a third of the glass containers that are put into circulation are consumed and about 50% of the waste single-use glass containers that are put on the market are generated by the hospitality sector.
In this way, the municipality that achieves the highest score on the basis of the following criteria will be awarded the Green Flag:
- the percentage of participation of catering establishments
- the number of kilos of glass packaging waste recycled
- the dissemination of the campaign
Ecovidrio will also recognise the two most responsible and committed to sustainability establishments in the Valencia Region by evaluating their initiatives to improve waste recycling management, their energy and water consumption and their commitment to sustainable purchasing, among other variables. Last year's winners were Hydra Restaurant in Calpe and Casa Montaña t in Valencia. Likewise, and as a novelty this year, Ecovidrio will invite two people from each winning establishment to enjoy a Master Class and a tasting of various dishes offered by a renowned chef with a Michelin Green Star.
Aware of the need to support the hospitality industry, Ecovidrio will set up a team of environmental educators to provide resources, information and incentives to the HORECA (acronym of Hostelería, Restauranes and Cafeterias. Trade-on) sector on the Spanish coast.
This fifth national campaign involves the participation of more than 156 coastal municipalities from five different autonomous communities and more than 16,000 catering establishments. All these localities will compete for the nine awards that Ecovidrio will present nationwide.