Andorra is one of the best ranked countries in Europe in terms of recycling and residue management. It is therefore important to differentiate that when we talk about waste we are referring to waste that cannot be reused, while the term residue is used to identify materials that can be reused or recycled. The Principality currently produces more than 100,000 tons of residue per year, but, because of the joint work of companies such as those that are part of Grup REFESA, the country is able to recycle 50% of this residues. In fact, local and foreign groups work together to actively contribute to the territory being well above the European average, which is 30% in the recycling area. However, 35% ends up being incinerated in residue treatment plants, which often results in the unnecessary loss of materials that could have been reused.
To improve these figures, as well as to grow the recycling industry and the circular economy, Grup REFESA, a leading company thanks to generations of experience in the sector, is responsible for ensuring the correct and safe recycling of different residues. One of the sectors in which it specializes is the ferrous recovery industry, as it is a 100% sustainable and revaluable material. Thanks to the recycling of metal residue, overexploitation in the extraction of metals from the earth, such as aluminum or iron, is avoided.
Grup REFESA, a leading company thanks to generations of experience in the sector, is in charge of guaranteeing the correct and safe recycling of different types of residues.
Although it is often not mentioned when we talk about the importance of recycling, metals and scrap can be used almost limitlessly to create new products, since they only need to be melted down and reshaped. It may seem as if they are materials that we do not use every day, but they are found in household appliances, electrical installations, automobiles and many other objects or structures that surround us.
Which metals can be recycled?
Iron is 100% recyclable at the end of its useful life and can be found in doors, gates and tools, for example. Similarly, steel or stainless steel is also fully recyclable and can be found in cutlery, kitchen and garden equipment, ladders or engines. Another example is aluminum, which is often used to make bicycles, kitchen utensils or furniture. In the same note, materials such as bronze and brass are often found as decorative elements, pipes are often made of copper and car batteries contain lead, all of which are recyclable materials.
Given the large presence of metals in our daily lives that can be reused, it is important to take advantage of the infinite number of lives they have not only to reduce pollution, but also to avoid the extraction of natural resources. In this sense, using recycled metal can reduce the waste produced by mining by up to 70%, but, above all, the greatest impact is the reduction of up to 95% of the energy used, since the extraction of minerals causes considerable effects on the environment.
But the benefits are not only environmental; it also has wide-ranging economic advantages. On one hand, it promotes the circular economy, thus contributing to sustainable economic development. On the other hand, citizens get an economic reward for their recoverable materials: they only have to go to any of its recycling plants, REFESA located in Santa Coloma or LSR Logística i Serveis del Reciclatge in Sant Julià de Lòria, and there they will weigh the residue and pay you on the spot according to the value of the metal.
Recycling these materials promotes the circular economy and contributes to sustainable economic development.
Another problem faced by this sector is the misinformation of the population, who see recycling as complicated and out of their reach. With this in mind, Grup REFESA also has a collection and transport service for all types of waste. On top of that, thanks to digital scales (which are extremely accurate), it ensures that it pays its customers the exact weight for recoverable materials. In this way, citizens can contribute to the well-being of the planet without significant effort and at the same time get paid for it.
Grup REFESA is one of the leading companies in the recycling and residue management sector in Andorra. With 100% Andorran capital, it is formed by two leading companies in residue management and circular economy: LSR (Logística i Serveis del Reciclatge) and REFESA (Recuperacions Fèrriques), with the experience of four generations dedicated to the sector. The group has different lines of business: integrated residue management, WEEE treatment, end-of-life vehicle dismantling, construction residue, hazardous residue and second-hand spare parts. The company is making a significant commitment to the recycling of WEEE, and is currently the only company in the country authorized to treat this type of residue. It dismantles and decontaminates them so that the different components can be reused, thus contributing to the circular economy and giving them a new life. The group is made up of a qualified team with years of experience in the sector, personnel with ADR hazardous materials licenses for the transport of residue and, in addition, specific continuous training in occupational hazards, fire prevention and extinguishing and safety advisor.
Tel: +376 844 133
gruprefesa@gruprefesa.com
