Zero waste is the way, sustainability is the goal

The term "Product producer" refers to any natural or legal person who introduces, produces, manufactures, processes, packages, sells, or imports a product professionally into the Spanish market, being responsible for its environmental impact throughout its life cycle, including the stages of collection, recycling, and final disposal.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is an environmental approach that requires manufacturers to take responsibility for their products after consumption, promoting their recycling, reuse, or proper disposal. It aims to reduce waste and encourage sustainable designs by shifting waste management responsibility from consumers or governments to producers. This fosters a circular economy by extending the lifespan of materials, minimizing environmental impact, and optimizing resource use through systems for collection, recycling, and sustainable waste management.

An Extended Producer Responsibility Collective System (EPRS) is a non-profit entity formed by product producers to jointly manage the responsibility they have for the waste generated by the products they have introduced into the market. Its main function is to fulfill the obligations of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), by organizing, financing, and coordinating the collection, recycling, and proper treatment of the waste generated by the products of its members.

As a product producer, you are required to join a SCRAP to comply with the EPR, as it requires producers to manage the recycling and proper disposal of the waste generated by their products. Joining a Circular Connection allows you to efficiently and economically meet these obligations, as the collective system organizes and finances the collection, recycling, and treatment of the waste.

Sharing costs through a SCRAP significantly reduces expenses, as economies of scale are leveraged. The system simplifies the waste management process, avoiding the need for each producer to organize it individually.

In addition to participating in the circular economy, promoting reuse and recycling, which benefits the environment.

In summary, joining a SCRAP ensures that you comply with legislation, reduces costs, facilitates waste management, and fosters more sustainable practices.

There are three main categories of packaging, each with distinct characteristics and purposes:

Domestic packaging: These are used for final consumption within the home. They are smaller and designed for direct use by the consumer. Examples include shampoo bottles, food cans, or jars of preserves. They are meant to be practical and easy to use.

Commercial packaging: These are used at the point of sale to present products to consumers. They are designed to attract the consumer's attention and facilitate marketing. These packages are commonly found in supermarkets and retail stores, such as soda bottles, cereal boxes, or packaging for electronic products.

Industrial packaging: These are used to transport and store products on a large scale in production or distribution processes. They are intended to protect large quantities of goods during transportation between factories, warehouses, and wholesale points of sale. Common examples include product pallets, chemical barrels, or large boxes of industrial components.

A packaging becomes a waste when it has fulfilled its initial function of containing, protecting, transporting, or presenting a product and has been discarded by the consumer or the producer, no longer serving a direct purpose. According to waste regulations, a packaging is considered waste when it reaches the end of its useful life, meaning when the packaging is no longer necessary for the product's consumption and cannot be reused for its original purpose, when the packaging is discarded, thrown away, or abandoned, whether in a recycling bin, landfill, or any other disposal point, or when it cannot be reused without treatment.

Conexión Circular is constituted as a multi-material and multi-sectoral Extended Producer Responsibility Collective System (EPRCS) to guarantee efficiency in the management, collection, recycling, minimisation and reuse of commercial, industrial and domestic packaging throughout the national territory. Conexión Circular encourages the reuse and preparation for recycling of packaging in its management.

Conexión Circular has been created to support product producers and help them to comply with the requirements of the Royal Decree 1055/2022 and the law 7/2022.

Conexión Circular is a non-profit association constituted in accordance with the Organic Law 1/2002, of 22nd March, which regulates the right of association.

EPR includes those who market these products through distance contracts, including e-commerce. This category includes all companies that use industrial and commercial packaging to transport and sell their goods in the Spanish market (packagers, importers, EU buyers, etc.). It also includes foreign companies that use such packaging to introduce their products into the Spanish market, which are also required to designate an authorized representative.

For example:

• In the case of products packaged on behalf of a third party responsible for market entry, the latter acts as the producer of the product.

• In the case of packaged products entering the market with a private label that does not identify the producer, the holder of the private label in Spain acts as the producer of the product.

• When products packaged outside of Spanish territory are introduced through e-commerce platforms, and the producer has not designated an authorized representative, the platform acts as the producer of the product.

• The product manufacturer may voluntarily agree with packaging manufacturers to assume financial, organizational, and informational obligations.

Our task is to create lasting value for all economic actors, including industry and society as a whole. We ensure transparent partnerships with our members based on active participation and mutual contribution.

Our participatory governance model fosters collaboration and transparency, providing an inclusive platform where all actors in the value chain can contribute in a meaningful way.

1. conexiónCircular positions itself as a reliable association, with an organised and democratic structure that responds to the needs of its members. To this end, we offer professional, personalised, fast, efficient and innovative assistance.

2. We not only comply with regulatory obligations, but also create opportunities and synergies between all members.

3. Our team of experts provides support to ensure compliance with RD 1055/2022 and to guide companies from registration and annual packaging declarations to the collection and treatment of packaging waste.

4. We offer customised solutions for both SMEs and large companies, based on their needs.