The difficult economic situation facing the footwear auxiliary industry has prompted the Spanish Association of Footwear Component Companies (AEC) to demand a more incisive strategy to reduce companies' fixed costs. The employers' association has met with the Elche City Council to request a review of the current fee and propose an alternative to the fixed payment.
The initiative is also motivated by the prospect that from January 2027, companies will pay according to their size and waste volume, with potential exemptions for those managing their waste privately. The AEC's report indicates that the current municipal ordinance sets an annual fee of 1,796.92 euros for general factories and industries, and 698.32 euros for workshops or similar.
The components association warns that the fee has increased significantly in recent years, with an estimated cumulative increase of 131.42% over three years, including 33% in 2025 and 74% in 2026. This increase coincides with a context of industrial weakening, reduced activity, and strong pressure on the margins of manufacturing SMEs in the sector.
President Manuel Román and general director Álvaro Sánchez presented a detailed analysis of the ordinance's economic impact on sector companies and a proposal structured in three levels: a pay-per-generation model for real waste, exemptions for companies with accredited private management, and a technical alliance focused on the circular economy. They propose the review, correction, and reduction of applicable tariffs, as well as objective fees that consider size, activity, and actual waste volume generated.
Business representatives also point to the option of establishing reductions or bonuses for companies that contract authorized private waste managers, considering that the use of the municipal service may be minimal or non-existent for some firms. Although the City Council has indicated that the 2026 fees are non-negotiable, it has agreed to study these measures for 2027, with the common goal of moving towards a more objective and proportional model.
