The Spanish Association of Lubricants and Sigaus, a non-profit waste oil collector, have formed a joint venture to manage commercial and industrial lubricant packaging waste for lubricant blenders on a set of Spanish Mediterranean islands.
Management of Commercial and Industrial Containers, or Genci, was formed in response to a provision from the government of the Balearic Islands – an archipelago off the eastern coast of Spain – requiring companies to establish what it calls extended producer responsibility systems for packaging used locally.
Extended producer responsibility systems require producers to manage the products they supply, including the product and packaging after use.
Operating since Jan. 1, “Genci has already taken important steps toward implementing a management system for this packaging,” Sigaus said in a press release. “So far, over 80% of the lubricant market has entered into a service contract with Genci, opening up this participation, under identical conditions, to all companies in the lubricant and automotive aftermarket sector looking to manage these obligations through Genci.”
Sigaus, which is based in Madrid and manages a waste lubricant collection and recycling program throughout mainland Spain, said companies joining Genci and packaging waste managers in the Balearic Islands are already using a computer system to record packaging on the market and packaging waste.
“We can draw from our 15-year experience in comprehensive industrial waste oil management to meet the new legal demands placed on the sector regarding commercial and industrial packaging,” said Eduardo de Lecea, managing director of Sigaus. “While the wastes differ, their generation channels, such as workshops and industry, are nevertheless the same.”igaus
Aselube Managing Director Luis Delgado added that the regulations on the island are “merely a preview of the coming requirements throughout Spain.” The four major islands of the Balearic Islands are Mallorca, Menorca, Formentera and Ibiza.