Palma: 46 waste projects seek €18.8m backing

Palma has received 46 bids for circular-economy projects worth a combined €18.8 million. On 15 September, the Balearic Government said the proposals covered waste prevention, reuse and recycling. The applications came through two funding calls from the Ministry of Enterprise, the Self-Employed and Energy.

The calls have €3.8 million available, funded by the tourist stays tax and the Feder programme for 2021-2027. Grants can support research, development and innovation, project plans and feasibility studies, as well as new schemes and improvements.

Alejandro Sáenz de San Pedro, the minister responsible, said the best way to deal with waste was to stop it being created in the first place. He said the funding was intended to make sustainability an opportunity for businesses to become more competitive, innovative and efficient.

Seventeen applications focus on prevention, 14 on reuse and 15 on recycling. A further 27 propose improvements to waste management, while 15 centre on eco-design and four aim to cut raw-material use.

There are 22 research, development or innovation studies in the running, alongside 19 proposals to carry out new projects and five for drawing up projects. An assessment panel will now score the applications.

Companies account for most bids

Businesses submitted 35 applications for projects with a total budget of €17.74 million. The business call has €2.4 million available, with 21 applications from small firms, eight from medium-sized firms and six from large companies.

Fourteen of those proposals concern recycling, 13 prevention and eight reuse. Twenty-three seek better waste management, ten focus on eco-design and two on reducing raw-material consumption.

Reuse leads social-economy applications

The social-economy call has €1.4 million available and received 11 applications for projects worth €1 million in total. Foundations filed eight of them, associations submitted two and an integration company put forward one.

Six projects focus on reuse, four on prevention and one on recycling. Five proposals centre on eco-design, four on improving waste management and two on cutting raw-material use.

Topics: Environment · Tourism · Politics · Economy

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com