Last week, the chemical company BASF celebrated the sixth edition of its circular economy awards, with which it annually rewards pioneering initiatives that promote a model based on sustainability and the use of resources. On this occasion, the delivery gala took place at the Espace Downtown of Madrid and brought together representatives of public administration, private companies, entrepreneurs and specialists in areas related to sustainability.
Álex Dorado Nájera, Commissioner for the Circular Economy of the Spanish Government, underlined in closing the importance of “moving urgently towards an economic model that minimizes the use of resources and the generation of waste” and which is useful , at the same time. , to “mitigate negative effects on the environment and human health”. BASF highlighted its commitment to these priorities and confirmed that the mission of these awards is to highlight projects that work towards this change. Thus, in this edition, the firm rewarded initiatives in a total of 6 categories: Public Administration, Large Business, SME, Startup, Academia and Diffusion.
In the first of them, the Madrid City Council was rewarded for its project Circular Economy Innovation Center (CIEC Madrid)founded in 2022 and located in the Vicálvaro neighborhood. Its mission is to act as a node for circular economy initiatives, promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and the creation of networks and employment opportunities in the sector. It also seeks to raise awareness among citizens of the importance of adopting circular practices. This category had a second prize that the Junta de Castilla-La Mancha won for its Network of circular economy agents, a platform that connects sector agents in this region to facilitate cooperation between professionals.
In the Large Business category, the prize was awarded to Groupe Renault and its project Seville Refactory. From the end of 2022, this initiative reconditions used vehicles to relaunch them on the market with superior quality and prices. Only in its first year of operation, thanks to this project, a thousand vehicles throughout Spain were given a second life.
In the case of SMEs, the prize was awarded to Surus, for its project Reuse effectwhich brings a new vision of the management of assets discarded by companies and organizations. Its priority is to reuse rather than dispose of products that end up in landfills. With this system, new owners are found and the original states are preserved: only the traditional notion of waste is discarded.
The drivers of the new economic paradigm
These prices include a specific section for startups. During this sixth edition, the prize was awarded to a digital waste management solution using a technology called SaaS. The project 360º Advisor from the company Cocircular allows complete traceability and circular waste management for companies in the energy, construction or textile sectors and facilitates compliance with the waste law, since it exceeds the required limit with a recovery of 89% of waste treaties.
The penultimate category corresponds to the Academy and the entity awarded was Women Action Sustainability (WAS) for its traveling exhibition. Were we circulating. With this exhibition, the non-profit organization seeks to raise awareness among university students throughout Spain about the practical applications of the circular economy, through real cases that make them fully understand the importance of this economic model to guarantee a sustainable future.
Finally, the prize in the Diffusion category went to Plastics Europe. In this case, the campaign was rewarded #PositivePlasticswhich is part of the European initiative #ChangePlasticsForGood. The initiative focused on stories of change in the plastics industry that promote sustainability and climate neutrality through success stories in Spain and Portugal. This section also received a second prize for the Catalog of Good Environmental Practices for Spanish Companies 2023 prepared by the CEOE, a descriptive and visual document where Spanish companies expose and give visibility to exemplary actions in environmental matters.
Roadmap and challenges towards circularity
The gala also hosted a roundtable on the integration of the circular economy into society. Led by Carles Navarro, Managing Director of BASF in Spain and President of the Sustainability Excellence Club, the experts who participated were Belén Hinojar and Carmen Huidobro, influencers and creators of ClimaBar.
Belén Hinojar highlighted the need to change the “consume quickly and throw away” mentality that prevails today. Pleading for change heavy towards more responsible consumption, while highlighting the advantages of the circular economy: “We must highlight the benefits it generates, whether economic, health or linked to the planet,” he said. he defended.
Carmen Huidobro highlighted “the challenges that young people face in the current context” and asked political leaders, institutions and businesses “to help them create the conditions that allow them to consume sustainably”. He called for corporate responsibility, asking companies to “examine their supply chains and prioritize actions with the greatest positive impact on the environment.” Huidobro criticized the practices of ecopostureo and asked companies to focus their efforts “on a real reduction of their carbon footprint”.
For his part, Navarro pointed out that “40 years ago our grandparents were already adopting certain practices that today would be considered sustainable, such as extending the use of clothes or repairing them.” According to the director of BASF, integrating these sustainable habits “does not always mean a radical change, but rather a return to simple and effective practices that are already part of our history”. Finally, he stressed the importance of “encouraging correct behavior and penalizing those that are not.”
