Alicante signs its Best start to the year in selective collection, with significant increases in the blue (paper/cardboard) and yellow (containers) containers. The city has seen double-digit increases, and cardboard remains at a low level. one step away from the objectives established in the Local Waste Plan, gradually consolidating a more solid circular economy.
The boost comes from more deposit points and operational improvements, such as the early collection of cardboard along commercial axes to avoid overflows. Although the rate is high, the fraction of packaging still remains a relevant gap with respect to the annual goal set by the City Council.
Figures and evolution of selective collection
Between January and June, the provincial capital accumulated 2.406 tons of packaging (+21,94% compared to the same period last year, when it was 1.972 t). In cardboard, the increase was even greater: 4.193 tonnes (+39,24% compared to the previous 3.030 t), remaining just 18 tonnes of the half-yearly mark aligned with the Local Plan, which sets a reference for this year of 8.421 t of cardboard.
The expansion of the network of selective containers and early cardboard collection on the main shopping streets account for much of the increase. The Cleaning Department emphasizes that Separating at source helps reuse materials and reduce the rejection that ends up in landfills.
The materials deposited in the yellow container and the blue one They are not treated in CETRA: they are managed through Ecoembes in specific plants located in Benidorm (packaging) and Villena (cardboard), which contributes to extending the useful life of the landfill and complying with the regulatory requirements European, state and regional.
Despite the growth, the City Council admits that the semester drags around a 31% gap with respect to the planned path, so it will be necessary to maintain citizen efforts and service improvements to close the year close to the goal.
The City Council links these results to the renewal of container islands and the expansion of selective collection, providing users with a more convenient and closer deposit to their home.
Awareness and service reinforcement
From the area of Street Cleaning and Waste Management, the following stand out: role of citizenship separating at source and municipal investment in more containers, including the extension of the brown container for biowaste, key to valuing the organic fraction.
The new Ordinance on the Cleaning of Public Spaces and Waste Management, approved to update the previous regulation, consolidated for the first time a detailed regulation of selective collection. It also regulates the inspection activity and classifies new offending behaviors emerging.
The sanctioning regime, adjusted to current regulations, contemplates minor, serious and very serious offenses with fines of 300 to 3.000euros. Particular emphasis is placed on practices such as throwing papers, bags, cigarette butts or chewing gum outside of trash cans, taking out the trash after hours or abandoning household goods and bulky items on public roads without prior notice to the service.
The City Council insists that the approach is twofold: inform and raise awareness to improve habits, while enforcing the ordinance when necessary, with specific campaigns aimed at the entire municipality.
Along with the operational reinforcement, the local administration reminds that the selective collection of packaging and paper/cardboard does not go through CETRA, but by external plants, while organic waste is treated in the municipal complex for recovery.
Organic technology: new line at CETRA
The City Council has launched a new biowaste refining line at the Alicante Waste Treatment Center (CETRA), with an investment of 2,4 millones de eurosThis system will transform the organic fraction of the brown container into high-quality compost for gardening and agricultural uses.
According to the Cleaning area, this commitment will allow for the production of more than 30.000 tons of compost annually and advance the circular economy, reducing final rejection in landfills. The action is integrated into a global modernization program from CETRA and the Fontcalent landfill, endowed with 17,68 million euros, with contributions from the managing UTE, the City Council and European and regional funds.
Contracts have been formalized for 4,7 millones de euros, with the aim of treating more than 50 tons of bio-waste per day. Among them, the purchase and installation of biostabilized refining machinery for €2.390.721,90 (UTE Tamesur SA and Estudios, Dirección e Investigación en Fermentaciones Especiales SA) and the award is pending. Industrial Leblan SL from the pretreatment of the separated organic fraction (€2.351.535,78).
Other investments are added to optimize processes: a optical separator of polypropylene containers (€198.825,69) and a triple sorting trommel with new conveyor belts (€906.277,90). In parallel, the renewal of the container network throughout the city.
