Nature faces a dangerous invasive species: plastic. This year, World Environment Day, celebrated on June 5 by the United Nations, calls for fighting against this challenge, which harms human health and threatens biodiversity. Hidraqua and its investee mixed companies -Aguas de Alicante, Aigües d’Elx, Aigües de l’Horta, Aigües de Paterna, AGAMED and Aigües de Cullera- focus their efforts on mobilizing the transformative environmental measures necessary to preserve the environment through solutions in matter of water, waste and energy.
Every year more than 400 million tons of plastic are produced in the world, and around 20 million of this waste ends up in lakes, rivers and seas. Faced with this situation, the key is to protect terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and implement new practices that are more respectful of nature. From Hidraqua and its investee companies, they promote the development of green infrastructures, based on nature, to preserve biodiversity and adapt to the effects of climate change, involving different social actors, administrations, the private sector and citizens.
Specifically, a key initiative is the El Recorral park, in Rojales (Alicante). Hidraqua, in collaboration with the town hall, has opted for solutions based on nature, creating an artificial wet area with reclaimed water. A wetland rich in biodiversity that, in turn, prevents discharges into the environment in episodes of torrential rains. In addition, among other actions, it has installed nesting houses for birds and bats that help control processionary pests and mosquitoes, with the aim of avoiding the use of pesticides and contributing to the increase of fauna and flora.
For its part, Aguas de Alicante works within the framework of its Strategic Plan for 2022-2027 in multiple areas within a line of action called “Measures against Climate Change”, a fight against the climate crisis focused on an increase in the measurement the company’s impact on carbon footprint emissions, the use of green energy and new fleets of electric vehicles, or adaptation and resilience measures against climate change, thanks to existing infrastructures such as the La Marjal park in Alicante, and other new ones, such as those that will be built thanks to the Alicante Agua Circular project for the reuse of 100% of the purification water. Along with all this and associated with the “Circular Life” line of action included in its Strategic Plan, Aguas de Alicante works to reduce the use of plastic in its processes. In this sense, its efforts are oriented, on the one hand, in the field of Operations to the reduction of the uses of plastic associated with the rehabilitation of the sewage system that the company carries out; on the other, in a joint analysis that leads to the reduction of the uses of plastic also in its supply chain.
In 2022 and as a consequence of its daily activity, Aguas de Alicante generated 30,183 tons of waste, 8.35% less than in 2021 (32,943 tons). Of the total waste, 99.94% is non-hazardous waste and only 0.06% corresponds to hazardous waste, mainly from maintenance operations. In addition, regarding the treatment and final destination of this waste, it should be noted that 96.57% of the waste managed is recovered, that is, a subsequent operation is carried out in its management, the main result of which is aimed at ensuring that the waste has a purpose substituting other materials.
