The program Blue Bow Ties, co-led by APAPER and REPACKING, celebrated its tenth anniversary on May 27th in a commemorative event that highlighted a decade of promoting and recognizing excellence in the municipal selective collection of paper and cardboardIn this tenth edition of the awards ceremony, 46 local entities from 15 autonomous communities have been recognized for their commitment and good results in the management of this service.
Of the total number of recognized entities, 41 have received three Blue Paper Birds, the program's highest distinction. In addition, 26 of them have received the special "Distinguished Paper Bird" award, reserved for local administrations that have maintained the highest category for five consecutive years. Another 15 have received three, two have received two Blue Paper Birds, and three have received one.
The award ceremony, held in Madrid, was attended by Alejandro Dorado, Commissioner for the Circular Economy of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge; Miguel Gómez-Pavón, Deputy Director General for Strategy and Industrial Ecosystems of the Ministry of Industry and Tourism; and the presidents of the two associations responsible for the project: Jordi Aguiló, from ASPAPEL, and Manuel Fernández, from REPACAR.
During his speech, Alejandro Dorado, Commissioner for the Circular Economy of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, began by stating that “the figures for paper and cardboard recycling are the result of an integration of the value chain that demonstrates that the circular economy, in this case, is not only a necessity, but also an opportunity to gain competitiveness, create jobs and ensure the supply of raw materials at the local level, in the current geopolitical context.”
For his part, Miguel Gómez-Pavón, Deputy Director General for Strategy and Industrial Ecosystems at the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, pointed out that “the paper and cardboard sector has been demonstrating for decades that circularity is an essential part of the industry. Blue Paper Birds shows that sustainability and competitiveness are not opposing goals, but rather that the most sustainable industries will be the best prepared to face future challenges.”
Jordi Aguiló, president of ASPAPEL, also highlighted that “paper mills in our country recycle more than 14.200 tons of paper and cardboard every day, almost 10 tons per minute. These are tangible results that demonstrate the system works efficiently, with local governments playing a key role in its success.”
On the other hand, Manuel Fernández, president of REPACAR, has emphasized that “the selective collection of paper and cardboard from households reached 23,68 kilos per inhabitant in Spain in 2024, a figure that reflects the growing commitment of citizens, local entities and the entire value chain of paper and cardboard.”
A decade driving excellence in paper and cardboard recycling
In its ten years of operation, Blue Paper Birds has established itself as a leading program for promoting continuous improvement in the selective collection of paper and cardboard. Since its inception, it has awarded 904 Blue Paper Birds, recognizing the commitment of local governments.
The program offers free technical advice and annually evaluates local management using 21 indicators that are reviewed and improved each year to ensure high levels of excellence in selective waste collection. In 2025, the focus has been placed particularly on communication campaigns and quality control procedures, two fundamental aspects for guaranteeing efficient recycling.
Based on their performance, participating organizations receive one, two, or three Blue Bow Ties. Those that maintain the highest category for more than five consecutive years also receive the special distinction of "Distinguished Bow Tie." To maintain or improve their level, participants must implement improvement plans adapted to increasingly demanding evaluation criteria.
Local entities committed to the recycling of paper and cardboard
In this tenth edition, the autonomous communities The regions with the highest number of award winners were the Community of Madrid, with ten entities, Andalusia, with eight, and Catalonia and Castile and León, with five each. The Balearic Islands followed with three recognized entities.
Aragon, the Canary Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, the Basque Country and the Region of Murcia each have two award-winning administrations, while Asturias, the Valencian Community, Extremadura, Galicia and La Rioja each have one recognized entity.
Among those honored with the “Illustrious Little Bird” These include Barcelona, Bilbao, Cáceres, Cádiz, Calvià – CALVIÀ 2000, Ciudad Real, Córdoba – SADECO, Coslada, El Prat del Llobregat, Fuenlabrada, Getafe – LYMA, Gijón – EMULSA, Granadilla de Abona – SERMUGRAN, Lleida, Logroño, Mollet del Vallès, San Fernando, Sevilla – LIPASAM, Soria, Valladolid, Consorci de Residus i Energia de Menorca, Diputación de Córdoba – EPREMASA, Gestión de Residuos Huesca SAU – GRHUSA, Mancomunidad de Municipios de la Costa del Sol Occidental, Mancomunidad de San Marcos and Consorcio RSU Ciudad Real – RSU Medio Ambiente.
They have also obtained three blue bow ties the municipalities of Alcorcón – ESMASA, Burgos, Las Rozas de Madrid, Leganés, Lorca – LIMUSA, Lugo, Málaga – LIMASAM, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca – EMAYA, Pinto, Reus, Rivas-Vaciamadrid – RIVAMADRID, Salamanca, Segovia and Zaragoza.
For their part, Dos Hermanas and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria have received two Blue Bow TiesFinally, Alcobendas, Madrid and Sagunto – SAG have obtained a Blue Bow Tie.
