Spain Advances Circular Economy with Regional Initiatives and Strategic Funding in 2026
Spain is advancing its circular economy agenda in 2026 via regional projects in Rubí, Castilla-La Mancha, and Asturias that focus on business support, bio-waste management, and social innovation.
- • Rubí's Circular Economy Network offers free membership services to help businesses adopt circular models, excluding certain sectors.
- • Castilla-La Mancha allocates over €3 million to improve waste collection infrastructure and runs a bio-waste separation campaign targeting 395 public centers.
- • Sabadell Seguros donates €6,500 to Asturias' Lláscares project aimed at converting a mining site into the region's first Circular Hub.
- • The regional initiatives combine training, technical advice, collaborative projects, and social innovation to promote circular economy goals by 2030.
Key details
Spain is intensifying its efforts to embed circular economy principles through multiple regional projects and government-backed initiatives in 2026. These actions span from promoting sustainable business models in Rubí to enhancing organic waste management in Castilla-La Mancha and supporting social innovation projects in Asturias.
In Rubí, the City Council, supported by the Diputación de Barcelona, has launched a comprehensive service catalog through the Circular Economy Network of Rubí (XEC Rubí) to aid local businesses—excluding commerce, tourism, and local quality food producers—in adopting circular models. Companies have access to personalized consultations, training workshops, and collaborative projects fostering innovation and cooperation. Membership, which is free and flexible, grants benefits such as networking, technical guidance, and improved corporate sustainability reputation. Currently, 26 entities participate in XEC Rubí.
Meanwhile, the Castilla-La Mancha regional government is reinforcing its circular economy commitment with over three million euros dedicated to upgrading waste collection points and promoting bio-waste separation in 395 public centers, including schools, hospitals, and care homes. The campaign, running December 2025 through March 2026, involves staff training, customized containers, and surveys to identify barriers, all aligned with the 2022 Waste Law requirements. Mercedes Gómez, Minister of Sustainable Development, underscored that this is part of a broader regional plan targeting circular economy objectives by 2030.
In Asturias, Sabadell Seguros has donated €6,500 to support the Lláscares project by Asata, which aims to transform a former mining site into Asturias’ first Circular Hub. Focused on social innovation and circular economy, the project plans to repurpose 300 tons of construction materials, provide training for 67 people, and create 25 jobs over the next three years. This initiative addresses the lack of selective demolition in the construction sector, promotes material reuse, and merges industrial heritage recovery with inclusive employment.
Together, these efforts illustrate Spain's multifaceted approach to scaling circular economy practices through targeted funding, social innovation, infrastructure upgrades, and collaborative business networks.
This article was translated and synthesized from Spanish sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
