Cost of Littering in Spain

The report estimates that the total annual cost of cleaning packaging litter in Spain for 2019 ranged from €496 million to €744 million. This includes street cleaning costs between €477 million and €603 million, and beach cleaning costs between €21 million and €141 million. The analysis uses a hybrid weight-and-volume approach to attribute costs, noting that beverage containers represent a significant portion of the expense, particularly in tourist-heavy areas.

• The total estimated annual cost for cleaning all packaging materials in Spain for 2019 is between €496 million and €744 million, which equates to a per capita cost of €10.45 to €15.97.
• Street cleaning costs for packaging materials in 2019 are estimated to range from €477 million to €603 million.
• Beach cleaning costs for packaging materials in 2019 are estimated to range from €21 million to €141 million.
• Using a hybrid calculation of 50% weight and 50% volume, packaging accounts for an average of 37.1% of total street litter costs, while beverage containers account for 25.9%.
• The report identifies that street cleaning operations in Spain can cost municipalities from approximately €30 to over €100 per person per year.
• The total cost of street cleaning in Spain was estimated at €2,684 million, with 58% of that figure (€1,550 million) attributed specifically to litter cleaning based on UK research benchmarks.
• Beach litter composition analysis shows that all packaging materials represent 50.5% of beach litter when using a 50% weight and 50% volume split.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2021). Cost of Littering in Spain. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Spain-Litter-Costs-Eunomia_-Final.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Cost of Littering in Spain. 2021. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Spain-Litter-Costs-Eunomia_-Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Cost of Littering in Spain |date=2 March 2021 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Spain-Litter-Costs-Eunomia_-Final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2021cost, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Cost of Littering in Spain}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Spain-Litter-Costs-Eunomia_-Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }