• Brief description of the company and its activities

Tible is a Dutch technology company that develops and manages the software that powers Deposit Return Systems (DRS).

Since 2011, we have been working with Statiegeld Nederland, the organisation responsible for managing the national deposit return system in the Netherlands. We handle the counting, settlement and payments associated with more than four billion bottles and cans every year.

Our work focuses on the digital side of the system, rather than the machines themselves. We manage return processing, settlements between producers, retailers and collection points, as well as the data and reporting required by each stakeholder in the value chain.

We now aim to bring this experience to the Spanish market, at a time when the Deposit Return System is beginning to take shape.

• Current challenges and needs

We are building our presence in Spain from the ground up, so our main priority is to gain an in-depth understanding of the local ecosystem: who the operators, producers, retailers, collection managers and recyclers will be, and what operational challenges will arise once the DRS is up and running.

Specifically, we are looking for:

• Contacts with organisations involved in the DRS and packaging traceability.
• Local partners, such as systems integrators, logistics operators and recycling companies, with whom we can collaborate and complement each other’s expertise.
• Knowledge of public procurement in Catalonia and Spain, to better understand market opportunities and specific requirements.
• Motivation for joining the cluster and the types of synergies sought

CREC brings together companies that play a key role in developing the circular economy in Catalonia. For us, it is an opportunity to learn from businesses in the sector and gain first-hand insight into the local context, beyond purely commercial considerations.

We want to share the experience we have gained over fifteen years of contributing to the operation of a national deposit return system: the lessons learned from past mistakes, the challenges of data management and the solutions that work when scaling up a system.

At the same time, we aim to establish partnerships with companies specialising in on-the-ground operations — such as collection, logistics, sorting and recycling — that can benefit from reliable data and effective traceability.

We are also open to exploring joint projects and tenders where technological solutions and operational activities need to work together in a coordinated way.

Thank you for being part of CREC!

L'entrada We Are CREC: Today, We Introduce… Tible ha aparegut primer a CREC.

• Brief description of the company and its activity

Valoriza specialises in managing different services across the waste recycling chain, including waste collection, treatment and management. It also works with cities to provide services such as street cleaning, mobility, urban infrastructure and green space management.

With more than 15,000 employees, Valoriza operates in over 700 municipalities across Spain, Australia and Colombia, providing services to more than 12 million people.

• Current challenges and needs

Our objective is to respond to society’s commitment to achieving sustainable development and mitigating the effects of climate change, by providing efficient solutions across our services and facilities while always maintaining an economic, technical and environmental balance.

Motivation for joining the cluster and desired synergies

Being part of the Cluster is an excellent opportunity in many respects. We joined as members with the aim of connecting with other companies, sharing experiences, fostering innovation and creating new opportunities for collaboration.

We hope to build synergies, promote joint projects and work together to address the present and future challenges we face.

Thank you for being part of CREC!

L'entrada Som CREC: Today we introduce… Valoriza ha aparegut primer a CREC.

As part of the project Managing Social Licence and the Territorial Integration of Ecological Transition Projects in Catalonia, we spoke with Carles Salesa from CADEVA, a company with extensive experience in the management of environmental infrastructure and waste-related services. Drawing on his professional experience, he shares a clear message: the trust of local communities cannot be improvised—it must be built through dialogue, transparency, and close engagement.

For Salesa, the relationship with the community should be built on three fundamental principles: listening, informing and responding. Beyond meeting administrative requirements, he considers it essential to establish permanent communication channels with local stakeholders, create spaces for participation, and facilitate direct dialogue with citizens. He also highlights the value of guided visits, open days and environmental education programmes, which help people understand how facilities operate in practice, dispel misconceptions, and bring waste management closer to society.

According to Salesa, public participation is particularly valuable when it begins in the early stages of a project. At this point, there is still an opportunity to incorporate feedback and adapt certain aspects of the infrastructure’s design or operation. However, he stresses that social licence is not something that is secured only before a facility is built; it must be continuously maintained throughout its entire lifecycle by ensuring ongoing communication and addressing any concerns that may arise.

In this context, Salesa defines social licence as the trust that a community places in an infrastructure project and in the organisation responsible for managing it. It is a form of trust that takes considerable time and effort to build, yet can be lost quickly if transparency, technical rigour and responsiveness are lacking.

These are precisely some of the pillars that he considers essential for gaining social acceptance. Clearly explaining from the outset why an infrastructure is needed, the role it plays, the benefits it provides, and the measures implemented to prevent or minimise its impacts helps create an atmosphere of trust. However, this information must always be supported by objective data, independent studies and monitoring systems that continuously demonstrate the proper operation of the facilities.

One of the clearest examples is odour management, which is often one of the issues of greatest concern to local communities. According to Salesa, the best strategy is to incorporate all the necessary preventive measures from the earliest stages of the design process and complement them with monitoring systems and response protocols that enable rapid action whenever an incident occurs. In many cases, he notes, trust depends as much on the ability to respond effectively as on the existence of the problem itself.

This approach to infrastructure management also means recognising that its social dimension is just as important as its technological one. For this reason, Salesa argues that communication, public participation and environmental education should not be treated as occasional initiatives, but rather as permanent lines of work that require resources, planning and long-term commitment. Managing environmental infrastructure also means managing the relationship with the surrounding community.

To assess whether these efforts are delivering results, Salesa advocates monitoring a range of indicators that measure the evolution of public trust. The number of enquiries and complaints, participation in guided visits and public events, satisfaction surveys, relationships with neighbourhood associations, media coverage, and the perceptions of different local stakeholders are all useful indicators for evaluating whether these initiatives are genuinely improving social acceptance.

Looking ahead, Salesa believes that the ecological transition will only be possible if new infrastructure projects gain the support of local communities. In this context, he emphasises the need to continue tackling misinformation with scientific evidence, strengthen opportunities for dialogue, and promote an informed and engaged public that actively participates in shaping the future of waste management.

His experience demonstrates that social licence is not a one-time achievement, but an ongoing process that requires active listening, transparency, and a relationship of trust built day by day between environmental infrastructure and the communities it serves.

L'entrada Social Licence: A Key Factor in Driving the Ecological Transition with the Support of Local Communities ha aparegut primer a CREC.

• What is your name and your role in the company?
  We are Albert Ardanuy, Technical Director, and Jaume Soler, General Manager at Safer-tech.

• Brief description of the company, highlighting its activity within the waste management or circular economy sector

At our core, we develop innovative recycling equipment. By “innovative,” we mean two things: first, we design tailor-made equipment, and second, we use technologies that go beyond conventional solutions, most of which we develop ourselves. As the saying goes, “there’s always room for improvement”!

• What challenges or needs is your company currently looking to address?

We are driven by practical application. We are looking for partners or clients who are willing to implement the solutions we have developed. Our goal is to validate our equipment across as many sectors and applications as possible.

• What motivated you to join as a member, and what kind of synergies are you looking for with other members?

The Cluster’s concept is excellent, both because of its working groups and the networking opportunities it provides. We had been looking for an active, rather than passive, association for quite some time. We want to connect with people who face challenges, are eager to collaborate, and have an open-minded approach to business relations

L'entrada “We are CREC: Today we’re introducing… Safer-tech ha aparegut primer a CREC.

• Name and role within the company

My name is José Luis Gomariz, and I am the CEO of NasApp. As CEO, I oversee the company’s overall direction, defining its strategy, driving project development, and ensuring that our technology addresses real market needs. I also work on building strategic partnerships, managing relationships with clients and institutions, and positioning NasApp as a valuable technological solution for environmental management and odour impact reduction.

• Brief description of the company and its activities

NasApp is a technology company specialized in the intelligent management of odour impact. We develop a multi-layer digital platform that integrates different sources of environmental information, including structured citizen reports, sensor data, meteorological information, and analysis and prediction models based on artificial intelligence.

Within the waste management and circular economy sectors, our activity is particularly focused on facilities such as waste treatment plants, landfills, composting plants, waste recovery facilities, and other operations where odour emissions may affect relationships with the surrounding community. NasApp enables users to visualize, correlate, and analyze all this information within a single platform, combining environmental and operational data with citizen perception at the point of impact. This allows companies to better understand what is happening, anticipate critical events, identify patterns, and make more informed operational decisions.

• Current Challenges and Needs

Directive (EU) 2024/1785, which amends the European framework on industrial emissions, explicitly includes odours within the concept of pollution and reinforces the need to address them as part of the environmental management of industrial activities. This regulatory change represents a significant challenge for sectors such as waste management, but also for technology companies like NasApp: the goal is to transform an issue that has traditionally been difficult to measure, interpret, and manage into objective, traceable, and actionable information for decision-making.

The main challenge is that odour episodes do not depend on a single factor. They are influenced by the operational processes of each facility, meteorological conditions, atmospheric dispersion, environmental sensor data, the location of potential emission sources, and the actual perception of the population affected by the impact. Therefore, having isolated data is not enough; it is essential to integrate, correlate, and transform this information into actionable knowledge.

In this context, NasApp’s challenge is to evolve odour management towards a more preventive, traceable, and business-oriented model. This involves integrating not only external environmental data but also information from each facility’s own operations, enabling a better understanding of odour events, the anticipation of risk situations, and the transformation of data into concrete management decisions.

• Motivation for Joining the Cluster and the Type of Synergies Sought

What motivated us to join CREC was the opportunity to become even more closely connected to the waste management and circular economy sector, an area where odour management is particularly complex and requires solutions tailored to the specific realities of each facility.

For NasApp, it is important to develop technology not only from an external or theoretical perspective, but also through a deep understanding of how the sector actually operates: how facilities function, which processes may generate odour episodes, which internal data are relevant, how decisions are made, and what constraints companies face in their day-to-day activities.

For this reason, the synergies we seek with CREC members are strongly linked to shared learning, technological validation, and the development of practical solutions. We want to collaborate with companies and organizations that can help us better understand the operational complexity of the sector, so that our platform can integrate not only external environmental data but also information specific to each facility, transforming it into actionable knowledge for more preventive, traceable, and effective odour management.

Thank you for being part of CREC!

L'entrada We are CREC: Today, we’d like to introduce… NasApp ha aparegut primer a CREC.

My name is Cristian Vilar, and I am the Managing Director of Tirgi. My responsibility is to ensure that the company operates with operational consistency and technical expertise, making sure that the service we provide to our clients is reliable, continuous, and aligned with regulatory requirements.

Ultimately, my role involves ensuring that everything behind waste management—processes, equipment, facilities, and methodology—is well structured and focused on making our clients’ work easier.

Brief description of the company and its activity

Tirgi is an integrated waste management company with an established track record in Girona and Barcelona, serving both industrial clients and the public sector.

We have a network of 7 facilities from which we manage all types of waste. This allows us to provide solutions with proximity and real execution capacity while adapting to each client to implement solutions tailored to the reality of their operations.

Our work is not limited to collection or treatment; we understand waste management as a complete system that begins with understanding the client’s reality. We then analyze the situation, identify opportunities for operational improvement, and structure the service according to clear criteria: we intervene in the definition of flows, efficient source segregation, logistics, and recovery processes, always with a high level of document control that guarantees traceability.

In addition, we integrate a Special Employment Centre into our activity, which participates in processes such as sorting and handling. This allows us to offer solutions that, in addition to being operationally efficient, also have a positive social impact.

Current challenges and needs

The current context is demanding. On the one hand, there is growing regulatory pressure that requires companies to have greater control and more rigor in waste management. On the other hand, there is a clear need for operational efficiency: reducing logistics costs, optimizing space, and improving internal processes.

Many times, clients are faced with fragmented or poorly structured management, and this generates inefficiencies and risk. Our focus is to bring order and methodology: define clear flows, improve segregation, ensure traceability, and simplify day-to-day management.

There is also a significant challenge in waste recovery. It is increasingly critical to understand waste as a resource and work to reintroduce it into useful circuits whenever viable. This requires technical knowledge, but also operational capacity and consistency in execution.

In summary, we help clients move from reactive management to controlled management, based on expertise and focused on continuous improvement.

Motivation for joining the cluster and the type of synergies sought

The decision to join CREC stems from our desire to be part of an environment where knowledge is shared and the sector is built collectively. We understand that waste management and the circular economy are evolving rapidly, and it is essential to stay connected with other stakeholders who are also working in this field.

We are looking for synergies that go beyond institutional relationships. We are interested in sharing experiences, comparing approaches, and identifying collaboration opportunities that can have a real impact.

It is also a way of reinforcing our way of working: based on proximity, but with rigor. We believe that spaces such as CREC make it possible to move forward with greater expertise and contribute to the further professionalization of the sector.

For us, being part of CREC is not only about being present, but about actively participating and contributing from our experience in industrial environments, which are often the most demanding in terms of management and compliance.

Thank you for being part of CREC!

L'entrada We’re CREC: Today we’re presenting… TIRGI ha aparegut primer a CREC.

• Name and role in the company

My name is Silvia Alba Lobo, and I am the Operations Manager at Ekologica Medioambiental.

• Brief description of the company and its activities

Ekologica Medioambiental is a company with more than 25 years of experience specializing in industrial waste management, particularly hazardous waste.

We develop comprehensive solutions covering collection, transportation, storage, and waste recovery, with a strong focus on traceability, regulatory compliance, and sustainability.

Today, we are particularly well positioned in the management of waste related to the automotive sector, such as lithium batteries, lead-acid batteries, and safety systems like airbags. We work to transform these waste streams into valuable resources within a genuine circular economy model.

• Current challenges and needs

One of our main current challenges is responding to the exponential growth of lithium battery waste, which requires highly specialized management from both a technical and regulatory perspective.

To address this, we are working to move further up the value chain by incorporating battery sorting, pre-treatment, and dismantling processes. Our goal is to reduce dependence on third parties while adding greater value to the waste management process.

At the same time, we seek to optimize our operational capacity and adapt to an increasingly demanding regulatory environment, while maintaining the highest standards of safety and traceability.

• Motivation for joining the cluster and the type of synergies sought

Joining CREC reflects our desire to become part of a collaborative ecosystem alongside key players in the sector, where knowledge, experiences, and best practices can be shared.

We aim to create synergies with other companies and organizations to jointly address the challenges of the transition towards more sustainable waste management, stay up to date with market needs, and expand our professional network.

Thank you for being part of CREC!

L'entrada We are CREC: Today we introduce… Ekologica Medioambiental ha aparegut primer a CREC.

• Name and role in the company

My name is Néstor Catalán, and I am one of the founders of PLASTICPeople. I currently serve as CEO of PLASTICPeople Spain, leading the development of the project at both the strategic and operational levels.

As is often the case in an early-stage startup, my role involves being actively engaged across all areas of the company, from production and operations to business development and strategic partnerships.

• Brief description of the company and its activities

PLASTICPeople was founded in Vietnam in 2019 with a clear mission: to provide a creative, participatory, circular, and sustainable solution to the global plastic waste challenge.

The company was founded by Néstor Catalán and Nano Morante.

With the goal of replicating the PLASTICPeople model in Europe and demonstrating its viability within a more demanding European regulatory environment, Néstor Catalán returned to Reus in 2023 and established PLASTICPeople Spain S.L.

PLASTICPeople’s materials are made from 100% plastic waste, primarily post-consumer plastic, with a particular focus on hard-to-recycle waste streams that would otherwise end up in landfills or incineration facilities, such as multi-material plastics, films, and mixed plastics. The result is a range of locally sourced materials that are both 100% recycled and recyclable.

The company transforms all types of plastic waste into versatile, safe, and design-driven materials, mainly producing 100% recycled plastic panels in standard industrial sizes (2.4 × 1.2 meters) and various thicknesses.

PLASTICPeople offers a standard catalogue of materials that, despite being made entirely from plastic waste, consistently deliver reliable mechanical, structural, and aesthetic properties thanks to the company’s unique sorting, formulation, and transformation processes.

• Current challenges and needs

PLASTICPeople continues to work on addressing the challenge of transforming hard-to-recycle plastic waste into viable, competitive, and scalable industrial materials.

We already have a validated technology and process, with a production facility operating in Tarragona. Our current focus is on consolidating the industrial process, developing the market for recycled materials, and generating the traction needed to demonstrate the economic viability of the model.

The project also aims to position these new materials as a genuine alternative to conventional materials, building market confidence and facilitating their adoption across a range of sectors, including construction, furniture, architecture and interior design, and industrial product design.

At the same time, we are working to optimize the production model and increase its scalability, with the goal of significantly expanding our waste transformation capacity and maximizing the project’s environmental and economic impact.

• Motivation for joining the cluster and the type of synergies sought

The motivation behind founding PLASTICPeople stems from the need to address one of today’s major environmental challenges: plastic waste. It was—and still is—time to move beyond talking about the problem and start taking action.

We believe that the global challenge of plastic waste can and should be transformed into a real industrial opportunity.

The initial experience in Vietnam, a context characterized by large volumes of waste and limited collection and recycling systems, allowed us to validate our model for transforming plastic waste into new materials and demonstrate its viability.

Replicating the model in Catalonia is intended to prove its scalability and viability within a more structured industrial and regulatory environment, while also providing access to European markets.

The project is built on a highly collaborative approach, which is why we are seeking synergies with different stakeholders across the ecosystem: industrial companies that can integrate recycled materials into their products, waste suppliers and waste management companies that can ensure a stable supply of raw materials, and technology and creative centers that can contribute to the continuous improvement of our materials and the exploration of new applications.

These collaborations are essential for scaling the model and maximizing its environmental and economic impact.

Thank you for being part of CREC!

L'entrada WE ARE CREC: Today we introduce… PLASTICPeople ha aparegut primer a CREC.

In “WE ARE CREC”, we introduce the latest member companies that have joined this project; the people who help our community grow every day. Discover who they are, what they do, and how they contribute to making CREC a vibrant, creative, and collaborative space.

Today, we introduce…

• Name and role in the company

My name is Víctor Luna Puerto, and I am the Cooperative Business Development Director at Xarxa Ambiental, a cooperative and Special Employment Initiative Centre (CETIS) that works to generate social and environmental impact through business activity.

• Brief description of the company and its activities

Xarxa Ambiental is a second-level cooperative and a Special Employment Initiative Centre (CETIS) specializing in environmental services related to waste management and public spaces.

We provide services such as street cleaning, maintenance of waste containers and litter bins, environmental awareness campaigns through environmental educators, and other key activities that support the efficient operation of waste collection systems and the improvement of urban quality.

In addition, we design and offer our own products related to waste management and public spaces, providing practical solutions tailored to the needs of municipalities and urban service operators.

Our model adds value throughout the waste management chain, not only by improving operational efficiency but also by incorporating a strong social dimension: creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities and those at risk of social exclusion. We understand the circular economy as a model that must integrate environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

• Current challenges and needs

The waste sector is evolving towards more circular, technology-driven, and demanding models, and one of the key challenges is ensuring that this transformation also incorporates social criteria.

At Xarxa Ambiental, we are working to advance in three key areas:

• Promoting responsible public procurement by integrating social clauses that support inclusive employment.
• Improving the efficiency and quality of services related to waste collection and street cleaning through our own service monitoring technology.
• Developing proprietary solutions—both services and products—that address real needs within local communities.

Our goal is to demonstrate that innovation, sustainability, and inclusion are not only compatible but also powerful drivers of competitiveness.

• Motivation for joining the cluster and the type of synergies sought

At Xarxa Ambiental, we connect the ecological transition with social inclusion through a cooperative and business-oriented approach.

As part of the Waste Cluster of Catalonia, we seek to build partnerships with companies, public administrations, and knowledge centers to promote collaborative projects, drive innovation in both services and products, and advance the integration of social criteria within the sector.

We believe that the future of waste management depends on collaboration and a broad vision of circularity, where social impact is also recognized as a key indicator of value.

Thank you for being part of CREC!

L'entrada WE ARE CREC: Today we introduce… Xarxa Ambiental ha aparegut primer a CREC.

In “WE ARE CREC”, we introduce the latest member companies that have joined this project; the people who help our community grow every day. Discover who they are, what they do, and how they contribute to making CREC a vibrant, creative, and collaborative space.

Today, we introduce…

• Name and role in the company

My name is Mariona Masnou Planas, and I am part of the management team and serve as Director of the Industrial Services Sales Department.

• Brief description of the company and its activities

At Recumas, we have been dedicated to waste management for more than 60 years. We manage all types of waste, with a particular focus on the recycling and recovery of ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

At the same time, we provide comprehensive solutions for all the waste streams generated by industry, including cardboard, paper, plastics, and hazardous waste, among others.

Our priority is to maximize waste recovery and valorization, giving materials a new life within the production cycle and contributing to a more circular and sustainable economy.

• Current challenges and needs

At Recumas, one of the main challenges we face is the constant evolution of regulations and the administrative requirements associated with waste management. This represents a significant challenge, as it requires staying continuously up to date and correctly interpreting the ongoing changes introduced in the regulatory framework.

In addition, adapting to these changes is particularly complex due to the difficulty of finding qualified professionals who can provide support not only in these specific areas but across the company’s broader operations.

We strongly believe in the principles of the circular economy, but we are also aware of the challenges faced by the industrial sector. For this reason, we are committed to supporting our clients by providing guidance, efficient solutions, and services tailored to their specific needs. We also invest in innovation and technologies that maximize waste recovery and contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally responsible production model.

• Motivation for joining the cluster and the type of synergies sought

I joined the cluster because I share its values and vision of promoting sustainability and the circular economy within the industrial sector. I believe that being part of this network will allow us to learn from the experiences of others, exchange best practices, and identify collaboration opportunities that benefit both Recumas and the other members.

We are looking for synergies that enable us to grow together: sharing knowledge, developing joint projects, and exploring new ways to optimize waste management and corporate sustainability, generating a positive impact for both the sector and the environment.

Thank you for being part of CREC!

L'entrada WE ARE CREC: Today we introduce… Recumas ha aparegut primer a CREC.