Barcelona’s MWC26 Donation Room has recovered nine tonnes of materials and furniture from the recent congress, with the items set to be distributed to social organisations in Barcelona and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat.
The initiative is led by GSMA, Barcelona City Council and L'Hospitalet City Council. It gives materials used during Mobile World Congress a second life through social and community projects, while supporting a more circular use of resources.
This year, 113 types of materials were collected, including tables, chairs, cupboards and reusable panels. In total, 4,010 units were gathered, with an estimated value of €38,019.68. Reusing the items prevented the emission of 8,873 kilograms of CO₂.
The recovered materials will go to 35 beneficiary organisations, 15 in Barcelona and 20 in L'Hospitalet. These groups will use them for social, cultural and community projects, or to support people who use their services.
The Donation Room has operated since 2016. It offers MWC Barcelona exhibitors a way to donate unwanted materials after the event, reducing waste and making better use of resources. This year’s operation involved 36 people, 20 from the Formació i Treball Foundation and 16 from GSMA, with three vehicles making 64 trips to collect and transport the materials.
According to the organisers, more exhibitors are choosing reuse or rental models, or lighter and more digital stand setups. They also said 80% of identified potential donors already use reuse or rental models. For future editions, Barcelona and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat city councils want to find new ways to channel surplus materials generated during setup. More on local news and civic projects can be found on the news tag page.
