Frequently asked questions

Around 90% of Ecoembes’ total expenses are operating expenses, fully destined to the maintenance of the recycling system by financing this service to local entities throughout the country, in charge of collecting and selecting this waste through yellow and blue bins. These operating expenses basically depend on the amount of light residential packaging recovered, since more recovered tonnes imply a greater collection, selection and treatment cost.

Ecoembes’ income is calculated according to these expenses. This calculation cannot generate any economic profit since, by law (Law 11/97 on packaging and Law 22/11 on waste), Ecoembes is a non-profit organisation. Thus, income from the sale of recovered materials contributes to reducing the annual gross cost of the waste collection and treatment public service between 10 and 15% and it is the companies adhered to Ecoembes, obliged by the above mentioned regulatory framework, the ones that cover the remaining 85-90% by the Green Dot payment