Costa del Sol leads Spain in recycling efforts, new figures show

Costa del Sol has set the bar for recycling in Spain. New data from 2024 reveals that residents along this stretch of coast are not only separating their waste more effectively than their Andalusian neighbours — they’re also beating the national average.

Costa del Sol plastic recycling rates outperform Spanish average

Mancomunidad de Western Costa del Sol has released new figures showing that residents of the area will recycle 15.4 million kilograms of light packaging in the year 2024. The average person in Andalusia has 14.4 kg, while the national average is 20.4 kg.

This success is supported by the installation of over 4,000 yellow bins across the region — roughly one for every 131 residents — making it easier for people to do the right thing.

Costa del Sol glass recycle rate is twice that of Andalusian average

Glass is a different story. The Costa del Sol recorded nearly 15 million kilos collected last year — or 28.24 kilos per person, nearly double the Andalusian average of 15.3 kg, and well above the Spanish national average of 19.1 kg.

This means that there are 3,514 green containers per 151 residents, which helps to ensure that bottles and jars will end up in the correct place.

The region also performs better than the Andalusian national average for paper and cardboard recycling. However, it is still slightly behind the average. Over 10.1 million kilograms of recyclable material were collected in the last year. This is equivalent to 19.2 kilograms per resident. This is ahead of Andalusia, which has 13.7 kilograms. However, it’s just below Spain with 19.6 kilograms.

Local officials remain pleased. Manuel Cardeña, president of the Mancomunidad, says these numbers confirm the region’s commitment to sustainable waste management. He said that the results showed residents are aware of their responsibility to keep Costa del Sol clean and green, but they also take action.

With more bins, more awareness and more results, the Costa del Sol is showing the rest of Spain how it’s done — one sorted bin at a time.

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