Last Friday, March 7th, Fundación ECOTIC kicked off the celebration of our 20th anniversary with an institutional event at the Palau Robert in Barcelona, where we reflected on the present and future of the circular economy and waste management. The chosen date coincides with the day of its foundation, March 7th, 2005.
The event, which was attended by prominent representatives from the sector, featured speeches by Albert Planell, Director of the Agència de Residus de Catalunya, as well as the top leaders of ECOTIC, President Jaime Corderas, and Director General Andreu Vilà, who currently also holds the presidency of OfiRaee and the Council of PRONEXA, two of the most prominent entities in the sector at both the Spanish and European levels.
In addition to these speeches, in which the entity’s trajectory was highlighted and its commitment to sustainability reaffirmed, the event also featured the roundtable discussion “Challenges and opportunities for promoting the circular economy and sustainability.”
Moderated by Jordi Julián, Director of Strategy and Business Development at ECOTIC, the roundtable featured the participation of Pilar Chiva, Director of the Circular Economy Area at the Agència de Residus de Catalunya; Josep Simó, Director of the Infrastructure Area at the Agència de Residus de Catalunya; Victoria Ferrer, Director General of the Gremi de Recuperació de Catalunya; and Carles Gasol, Business Development Director at the consultancy Inèdit. They discussed key topics such as the role of SCRAPs in waste management, the evolution of WEEE management, and the new regulatory framework for packaging management.
As part of the celebration, ECOTIC also wanted to merge art and sustainability with the presentation of the artwork by the illustrators DAQ, which represents the 20 years of the entity’s journey and our values. A lithograph of the piece, numbered and signed by the authors, was given to the attendees.
At ECOTIC, we took the opportunity to pay tribute to the individuals who have held leadership positions since the foundation in 2005: the General Directors, Joan Riba (2005-2011) and Andrés Martínez (2012-2017), and the Presidents Guillermo de Manuel (2005-2009), Ignasi Fraile (2009-2013), Pablo Enríquez (2013-2017), Javier Cervera (2017-2019), and Jaime Corderas (since 2020).
During these 20 years, we have led the sector in collection volume with over 1.434 billion kilograms accumulated since 2005. We have established ourselves as a benchmark in the responsible management of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), actively contributing to the transition toward a circular economy. The entity has gone from managing the collection of 530,116 kg of WEEE in 2005 to 136,156,930 kg in 2024.
To strengthen our commitment to sustainability and social awareness, we will carry out 20 actions directed at different audiences throughout the next year. Among them, we highlight the publication of the special magazine “20 years, 20 agents of change,” which features the testimony of 20 professionals discussing future challenges.
With two decades of experience behind us, we have consolidated ourselves as a key player in the transition to a more sustainable economy. Our role has been decisive in the consolidation of an efficient WEEE management model both in Spain and Europe, and our focus on the future is centered on innovation and the involvement of all sector stakeholders. Recently, we have expanded our scope of action to include packaging waste management, adopting a comprehensive 360º approach that covers all aspects of the circular economy.
A sample of ECOTIC’s relevant role can be found in the business representation of our board, which includes the most prominent companies in the consumer electronics sector: Panasonic, Samsung, Daikin, Gaplasa, Sharp, Beko, LG, Lumelco, and Corberó, representing the more than 1,700 companies that are members of the entity and responsible for managing their waste.
