The fifth edition of the Green Flags Movement concluded this summer with the collection of 14,447 tonnes of glass containers by hospitality establishments and coastal municipalities in the Balearic Islands. In this regard, the Government and Ecovidrio have awarded the green flag to Alcúdia, Sant Antoni de Portmany (Ibiza), and the Consell de Menorca, who are repeat winners, as well as Palma and Calvià, who join the ranks for the first time. This recognition highlights them as the most responsible and sustainability-committed coastal municipalities in the islands. A total of 2,500 hospitality establishments and 30 municipalities in the archipelago participated in this initiative.

Green Flags Balearic Islands 2024
Green flag award ceremony for Balearic municipalities. Photo: CAIB.

During the green flag award ceremony, the Director General of Circular Economy, Energy Transition, and Climate Change, Diego Viu, highlighted the work of the municipalities and made an appeal to Balearic citizens: “This is a task within everyone’s reach, not just for the big or small players. Campaigns like this aim to reduce waste and reuse it productively. This is the path forward for all: citizens, businesses, organisations, and public administration, moving towards a circular economy for the benefit of the environment.”

Data from Palma and Calvià

In Palma, over 3,150 tonnes of glass containers were collected this summer, with a participation rate of 99.1% of the hospitality sector. Meanwhile, Calvià gathered over 1,490 tonnes, with a Horeca sector participation rate of 95.9%.

The Green Flags Movement is a summer campaign by Ecovidrio, a non-profit organisation responsible for managing the recycling of glass containers in Spain. The campaign aims to highlight and recognise the commitment of local hospitality and municipalities to glass recycling, environmental protection, the circular economy, and sustainable development.

Impact of the Green Flags Movement

The collection of these 14,447 tonnes of glass containers in the Balearic Islands has achieved:

  • Avoiding the emission of over 8,300 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, equivalent to taking more than 3,900 cars off the road for a year.
  • Saving 10,318 MWh of energy, equivalent to over €1.37 million in economic savings.
  • Preventing the extraction of over 17,300 tonnes of raw materials, equivalent to nearly twice the weight of the Eiffel Tower.