Renueva

In Spain, around 79% of household waste is recycled, largely thanks to well‑established home sorting systems. However, recycling performance remains significantly lower in away‑from‑home settings such as offices, schools, shopping centers, and transportation hubs, where formal sorting and collection systems are often missing. As a result, large volumes of recyclable packaging are lost, contributing to littering and limiting the supply of recycled materials.  

In parallel, vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities or those who are socially excluded face persistent barriers to employment and access to training opportunities within the waste management and circular economy sectors. 

In 2016, Danone Ecosystem Fund alongside Danone Aguas de España, and local partners Ecoembes and Fundació Trinijove lauched the Renueva Project. It operated a waste collection system and sorting plant in away‑from‑home settings, such as companies and public spaces, to improve the capture and recycling of packaging waste. 

The project placed social inclusion at the core of its model through a Circular Economy Recycling School. The school provided waste‑management training with a strong focus on people with disabilities or facing social exclusion, helping participants develop both personal skills—such as autonomy, self‑confidence, and social skills—and technical competencies aligned with labor‑market needs in recycling. 

In parallel, it worked closely with local companies to facilitate access to employment. By raising awareness among employers, advising on inclusive practices, identifying suitable profiles, and adapting job positions, Reneuva created concrete employment opportunities for trained participants and helped bridge the gap between skills development and labor‑market demand. 

An interactive app further boosted participation by educating users, reducing littering, and raising awareness about the importance of recycling. 

Through this integrated approach, Reneuva increased recycling performance in away‑from‑home channels while creating professional pathways and delivering inclusive social impact.