The Consortium for the construction and operation of the fourth plant for the full treatment of municipal waste in the Barcelona metropolitan area (ECOP4RC Consortium) is a public body created in 2006 to manage the Ecoparc 4.
It is formed by the Waste Agency of Catalonia (ARC), the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (BMA) and the Hostalets de Pierola Town Hall.
Extent
Ecoparc 4 of the Barcelona metropolitan area treats the municipal waste of several areas:
- Thirty-six municipalities of the Barcelona metropoltan area, that amount to 3,200,000 people and produce almost 1,600,000 tons of municipal waste per year (2011).
- Four municipalities from Anoia closer to the plant — Hostalets de Pierola, Masquefa, Piera and Vallbona —, where 26,000 people live and produce 19,000 tons of municipal waste per year.
- Eight municipalities in Baix Llobregat, that amount 133,000 inhabitants and produce 69,000 tons of municipal waste per year.
Aims of ECOP4RC Consortium
- Provide the public service of treating the organic and refuse streams of municipal waste, and disposing of the residue that remains — what could not be recovered.
- Drive forward the catalan model of treating municipal waste, that goes after treating all streams of waste before waste-to-energy or disposal.
- Maximize the recovery of materials in the refuse stream — not sorted in collection —, in order to save material and energy resources.
- Minimize the amount of municipal waste dumped in controlled landfills.
- Fight climate change by avoiding to landfill biodegradable waste, that would lead to emitting greenhouse gases.
- Encouragewaste reduction, reuse and recycling through educational and awareness rising activities.