Estepona exceeds the national average for glass recycling and joins the Green Flags Movement to continue improving its results

The City Council and Ecovidrio are launching an awareness campaign to encourage both the hospitality industry and the general public to continue participating in glass recycling

This summer, the Estepona City Council is participating in a new edition of the “Green Flags Movement,” a campaign promoted by Ecovidrio that recognizes the commitment of coastal municipalities and the hospitality sector to glass container recycling and the circular economy.

Estepona is well-positioned to take on this initiative thanks to the excellent recycling results it has been achieving. Last year, the municipality collected 1,570.62 metric tons of glass containers, reaching an average of 20.40 kilograms per resident—a figure that places the city above both the national average (19.2 kg/resident) and the provincial average (18.08 kg/resident), confirming the growing environmental awareness among residents, businesses, and visitors.

In addition, the municipality has 340 green recycling bins, with a ratio of 147.5 residents per bin—higher than the national average—which makes recycling more accessible to residents. In addition to these figures, there is a dedicated collection program for the hospitality industry, which recovered 125.14 metric tons of glass through door-to-door service in 2025.

These results highlight Estepona’s long-standing commitment to sustainability and proper waste management. However, the City Council believes there is still room for improvement, especially during the summer season, when the municipality’s population increases significantly and so does the consumption of glass containers.

Precisely for this reason, the Ecovidrio campaign focuses on the restaurant sector, since during the summer months nearly 50% of single-use glass containers come from bars, restaurants, and beach bars, while approximately one-third of all glass containers sold in Spain are consumed during this time of year. The involvement of the hospitality industry is therefore crucial to continuing to improve recycling rates and reduce the environmental impact.

To this end, the City Council will collaborate with Ecovidrio to step up efforts with the municipality’s food service establishments. Environmental educators will visit bars, restaurants, and beach bars to advise them on the proper sorting of glass containers, provide resources to make collection more convenient, and promote the adoption of good environmental practices. In addition to recycling, aspects such as proper management of other types of waste, energy and water conservation measures, responsible consumption, and a commitment to locally sourced products will be evaluated, with the goal of recognizing the establishments most committed to sustainability.

At the same time, the City Council will carry out awareness-raising initiatives aimed at residents and visitors to remind them of the importance of placing glass containers in the green bin. This everyday action helps reduce CO2 emissions, conserve raw materials and energy, and move toward a more efficient circular economy model.

Participation in the Green Flags Movement also represents an opportunity to further establish Estepona as a leading municipality in sustainability. To achieve this recognition, it will be essential to increase the selective collection of glass during the summer, secure broad participation from the hospitality sector, and carry out awareness-raising initiatives aimed at the public.

The City Council encourages all restaurants and the city’s residents to join this initiative so that Estepona can continue to lead the way in glass recycling and keep moving toward an increasingly sustainable city model.