Summary
Details
- Spain
Law 7/2022 is binding and sets mandatory obligations for waste producers, product manufacturers, distributors and public authorities.
Key obligations include:
Waste prevention and separate collection for key fractions (bio-waste, packaging, textiles, etc.).
Strengthened EPR schemes: producers must finance and organise the management of waste from products they place on the market (including industrial and commercial packaging via the packaging decree).
Bans and restrictions on certain single-use plastic products.
Application of a plastic tax of 0.45 euros per kilogram of non-recycled plastic in non-reusable packaging.
Exceptions:
The plastic tax exempts certain uses and situations (e.g. specific medical products, exports, or small quantities), as defined in the tax rules.
Some EPR streams have phased implementation or transitional arrangements, particularly for new product categories like textiles.
There may be specific derogations for deposit-return systems and certain event-based or reuse-focused schemes, depending on local implementation.
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What’s Required
Law 7/2022 modernises Spain’s waste legislation and embeds circular economy principles. It sets prevention, reuse, and recycling priorities, bans certain single-use plastics, and reinforces Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for multiple product streams, including packaging, textiles, and others.
The law also introduces the special tax on non-reusable plastic packaging, applying to non-recycled plastic content in packaging used in Spain.
Important Deadlines
Law 7/2022 entered into force in 2022, with progressive application of bans and obligations.
The special plastic packaging tax has been in effect since January 2023.
Royal Decree 1055/2022 on packaging further specifies EPR requirements; from January 2025, producer responsibility extends fully to commercial and industrial packaging.
Current Status
Law 7/2022 is fully in force and is the backbone of Spanish waste and circular economy policy
Royal Decree 1055/2022 has expanded EPR to commercial and industrial packaging, prompting new producer systems and SCRAPs.
Spain is preparing or implementing a national deposit-return system for beverage containers, with minimum deposits of around 10 cents per unit, as part of meeting EU recycling targets.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Administrative fines for breaches of waste management obligations, illegal dumping, non-compliance with EPR duties, or failure to meet separate collection requirements.
Tax penalties and surcharges for incorrect or missing declarations under the plastic tax.
Possible suspension of operations or permits in severe or repeated cases.
Examples of Known Violations
Media and NGO reports highlight implementation gaps in areas like reusable cup deposit systems at events, where some organisers have not correctly refunded deposits despite legal obligations.
Detailed sanction statistics are not centrally published, but regional authorities and tax agencies have started auditing plastic tax compliance and EPR implementation.
Resources
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