Spain advances in the management of agricultural plastic waste with the creation of MAPLA

MAPLA is born, the new Association of producers of plastics for agriculture that will organize a national system of management of agricultural plastic waste to boost its recycling

The new association MAPLA (Environment Agriculture and Plastics), has as main purpose to organize and finance the new system model to manage the non-packaging agricultural plastic waste. Promoved by ANAIP, CICLOPLAST and APE EUROPE, founding members, MAPLA was established last Thursday, February 6, by Spanish manufacturers and importers of agricultural plastics. The headquarters of the Association is in Seville.

MAPLA represents 90% of the transformers and distributors of agricultural plastic films and is expected to grow progressively incorporating other plastic products used in agricultural production (ropes, meshes, irrigation tapes, etc.). Spain is the main European market for these products due to the important area of ​​protected crops, which, thanks to plastic, are much more productive, with considerable savings in resources (water, energy, pesticides and fertilizers).

MAPLA will organize the management of films used throughout the national territory, financing the collection and recovery of waste through an eco-contribution from the first commercialization of the products, similar to other models already implemented in Spain such as tires, containers or electronic equipment

MAPLA's objectives are to prevent the spillage of agricultural plastics in nature, to facilitate the management of their waste, and thus increase the rates of collection and recycling of plastic. It will also allow the use of waste as resources, in line with the European Plastics Strategy, thus promoting the Circular Economy of plastic.

Currently, many of the non-packaging agricultural plastic waste is already being recycled, but an organized model makes it easier for the farmer to manage and is much more efficient. The first collection operations promoted by MAPLA are planned for the year 2021.

MAPLA invites farmers, cooperatives, marketers and distributors to join the new national model, in order to better meet farmers' expectations and the needs of the environment.

Sitio web oficial de MAPLA