El Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council has launched one of its most important projects in the area of public services: the tender for the new contract for the collection of municipal solid waste, valued at 156,9 millones de euros for the next eight years. This is a project of great economic and social significance, destined to redefine cleanliness and waste management in all districts of the capital of Gran Canaria.
With this contract, the City Council intends Strengthen the cleaning service and completely modernize the collection systemThe measure, which includes more staff, new vehicles, advanced technology, and a significant increase in the number of containers, comes after years of extensions and emergency solutions, in a context where the city was demanding a more structural response to the problems of unsanitary conditions and waste accumulation in public spaces.
A mega-contract worth 156,9 million for eight years
The new contract of urban solid waste collection It was approved by the Governing Board and has a total budget of 156,9 millones de euroswhich will be distributed over a period of eight years. This represents an annual investment of approximately 19,6 millones de euros, intended to cover waste collection in the city's five districts and to completely renew the current system.
Mayor Carolina Darias explained that the approval of the bidding documents has been a laborious process and that “Getting to this point has been complicated”This refers to the accumulated delays and various technical and administrative procedures. Despite this, the City Council considers it an essential step to adapt the cleaning service to a city that has changed significantly in population, size, and environmental demands in recent years.
The tender notice has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union and in the Public Sector Procurement Platformopening the period for interested companies to submit their bids. The procedure is being processed as one of the files with the highest economic volume of the municipal termThis reflects the importance that the City Council places on waste management.
The tender marks the start of the formal phase to award the service, after the previous contract expired in 2020 and the City Council was forced to resort to a emergency contract To address the progressive decline in street cleanliness, the corporation aims to move beyond this temporary situation and establish a stable model with greater resources and a more responsive approach.
According to the City Council itself, this contract “represents the city of today”Unlike the framework that was still in force until now, considered outdated compared to the current reality in terms of waste volume, recycling habits and citizen demand for a more cared-for urban environment.
Staff reinforcement and fleet renewal
One of the central pillars of the new service is the increase in human and material resources intended for waste collection and management. The Councillor for Cleaning, Héctor Alemán, explained that the contract foresees the incorporation of approximately 190-191 new workers, who will join the existing staff to reinforce both regular collection and support and maintenance work.
This additional staff will be distributed among drivers, specialist laborers and workshop and washing officersThe aim is to improve response times in all neighborhoods, including those with more complex terrain or difficult-to-access streets. The city council intends that the increased personnel will allow for more frequent patrols, extended hours, and better attention to areas with the highest number of incidents.
In parallel, the contract includes the arrival of more than 100 new vehicles of different types, including collection trucks with different loading systems, machinery adapted to complex areas and specific equipment for cleaning and maintaining containers. The fleet used for waste collection will be completely renewed., in order to gain efficiency, reduce breakdowns and also improve workplace safety.
The introduction of this new machinery also aims to facilitate a change in the container model and collection method, opting for systems with greater capacity and less impact on public roads. The City Council emphasizes that the service will be more robust, with more staff and with more modern vehicleswhich should translate into a higher quality perceived by the public.
The mayor has insisted that this increase in resources will allow them to offer “More frequency, better quality, more new vehicles and greater performance”especially in neighborhoods where residents' complaints about the dirt had intensified in recent years.
Change of container model and expansion of the park
Another major part of the contract focuses on the Renovation and expansion of the container park of the city. The City Council acknowledges that the last major upgrade took place over a decade ago, meaning much of the equipment had reached the end of its useful life. The new tender calls for the installation of more than 10.000 containers new, covering all waste fractions, including organic matter (brown container).
This renovation will allow for the standardization of street furniture intended for waste and move towards a collection system with lateral load instead of the traditional rear loading. As the Councillor for Cleaning explained, a side-loading container has an approximate capacity of 3.000 liters, compared to 1.000 liters of rear-loading containers, which translates into fewer containers needed for the same volume of waste and greater efficiency on the routes.
The change in typology also seeks improve cleanliness and hygiene in the vicinity of collection points, by reducing overflows and facilitating faster and safer emptying operations. With larger capacity and improved design, the City Council expects to minimize the number of bags left outside the containers and improve the overall appearance of public spaces.
Furthermore, the contract promotes the extension of the so-called fifth container (Organic waste) will be rolled out to all neighborhoods gradually. Until now, this system has been implemented only partially, but the new tender aims to complete it and integrate the collection of organic waste as a regular part of the service, in line with European requirements for recycling and the circular economy, promoting the use of brown container.
The City Council has set itself the objective promote separate waste collection, reinforcing the presence of separate containers for the five waste streams (organic, waste, paper and cardboard, packaging and glass) and committing to the creation of ecological islands in strategic points of the city, also in areas where until now it was more complex to place containers due to lack of space or accessibility.
Brown container with smart lock and bonuses
One of the main technological innovations of the contract is the incorporation of a intelligent system in the brown binDesigned to improve the management of organic waste and, at the same time, encourage responsible use by residents. These containers will have Opening via smart lockso that only authorized people can use them.
Access will be through a card or an application linked to the cadastral reference of the propertyThis will allow the identification of users who correctly separate organic waste. This information will be linked to the municipal tax system for application discounts on the waste tax to those who make proper use of the service.
With this measure, the City Council aims to promote selective waste collection of the organic fraction, one of the keys to meeting European recycling and landfill reduction targets. Access control to the brown bin also aims to prevent misuse, such as mixing organic waste with other types of waste that hinder its subsequent treatment.
The councillor for Cleaning has argued that this smart lock system will allow better monitor deposit habits and adapt the service to the reality of each neighborhood, detecting areas where more recycling takes place and areas where it is necessary to intensify information and awareness campaigns.
Furthermore, the implementation of the fifth container will be accompanied by specific awareness programs on the importance of separating organic waste, with informational activities in neighborhoods, schools, and community associations. The goal is for citizens to understand the positive impact of this waste stream on reducing emissions and on the use of waste for composting or biogas.
Technology, traceability and real-time fleet control
The new contract focuses not only on more human and material resources, but also on the incorporation of advanced technology to manage collection more efficiently. Among the planned measures is the implementation of real-time fleet traceability and control systemswhich will allow the City Council to know at any time the location and activity of the vehicles.
These systems will be accompanied by sensors in the containers to measure their fill level, which will make it possible to adjust routes and frequencies based on actual demand. This aims to avoid both collecting nearly empty containers and overfilling those that fill up more quickly, optimizing resource use and reducing unnecessary trips.
The tender also provides for the use of intelligent route planning toolsThese measures will take into account factors such as traffic, topography, waste generation by area, and the most suitable times to minimize disruption to residents. All of this will be integrated into a management platform that will facilitate decision-making and monitoring of contract compliance.
The City Council also intends to reinforce the washing and maintenance of the containersThis is done both through specific vehicles and through more frequent cleaning protocols, paying special attention to the areas where there are more incidents due to odors or accumulation of debris.
Along with the technology applied to the collection, the contract includes awareness campaigns and environmental educationwith special emphasis on the separation of organic waste and the correct use of the different containers. The City Council believes that this technological leap must go hand in hand with a change in citizens' habits so that the improved service is noticeable in the daily lives of the neighborhoods.
Service organization: direct and indirect management by neighborhoods
The document approved by the Governing Board details how the service will be organized waste collection in the different neighborhoods from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, differentiating between direct management and indirect management, as well as between collection on weekdays or daily from Monday to Sunday.
First, they are established neighborhoods with direct management from Monday to Friday, attended to by the staff of the Municipal Cleaning Service. In the Vegueta-Cono Sur-Tafira district, this includes areas such as Casablanca I, San Roque, Hoya de la Plata, Pedro Hidalgo, Tres Palmas, El Lasso, Tafira Baja, El Fondillo, Lomo Blanco, Marzagán or Lomo del Sabinal, among many other residential and rural areas.
In the district of Upper CityDirect management will be applied, for example, in the Díaz Casanova Urbanization, while in the district Tamaraceite-San Lorenzo-Tenoya It will be offered in neighborhoods such as San Lorenzo, Dragonal Alto and Bajo, Hoya Andrea, Casa Ayala, El Zardo, Siete Puertas, Los Giles, Costa Ayala or Ladera AltaIn these areas, the service will be concentrated from Monday to Friday, combining regular collection with specific actions when necessary.
Secondly, the document defines neighborhoods with indirect management on alternate days, under the responsibility of the new winning bidder. This group includes areas such as San José, San Juan, El Batán, Zárate, Vegueta, San Cristóbal, La Montañeta, Tafira Alta, Lomo Apolinario, Miller Bajo, Los Tarahales, Almatriche, Tamaraceite, Las Majadillas, Tenoya, Lomo Los Frailes, La Suerte, Piletas, Ciudad del Campo or Riscos Negros, among others.
In these neighborhoods, collection will not be daily, but will be done on a rotating basis. alternating daysThe service is adjusted to the waste generation and characteristics of each area. The goal is to ensure sufficient service presence without over-allocating resources where waste production is lower.
Finally, the contract states neighborhoods with collection from Monday to Sunday through indirect management, that is, with daily involvement of the contracted company. In the Vegueta-Cono Sur-Tafira district, this affects, among others, Vega de San José, Phase III of the Jinámar Industrial Estate, Las Ramblas or Mirador del Valle; in the Centro district, at La Paterna, Nueva Paterna, Triana, Casablanca III, Ciudad Jardín, Alcaravaneras, Lugo and Canalejas, as well as other residential areas.
In the district Isleta-Puerto-GuanartemeDaily collection will cover neighborhoods such as Santa Catalina, Guanarteme, Las Canteras, La Isleta, Las Coloradas, El Confital, Nueva Isleta or El Sebadal. Meanwhile, in Upper CityThe service will be provided from Monday to Sunday in places such as Escaleritas, Barrio del Atlántico, Schamann, Las Rehoyas, Las Torres, Siete Palmas, San Antonio, El Polvorín or El Pilar, among other enclaves.
This mixed configuration of direct and indirect managementWith different frequencies depending on the neighborhood, the aim is to adapt the contract to the reality of each area, guaranteeing more homogeneous coverage and responding specifically to the needs of each district.
Weekend management, routes and awareness campaigns
A key aspect of the new model will be the organization of the service during weekendsThe City Council has decided that, in a large part of the territory, management on Saturdays and Sundays will be primarily hintThat is, assumed by the winning company, while direct municipal management will continue to play a relevant role in the remaining days.
This combination will allow Strengthen the service's presence during peak waste generation timessuch as weekends and holidays, especially in areas with high population density or with a prominent tourist and commercial component, such as areas in the city center and the coastal area.
In parallel, the City Council will focus on the truck route optimizationThis is achieved by leveraging smart planning technology and container filling data. The idea is to design routes based on efficiency criteria, reducing downtime and unnecessary travel, which also helps to decrease emissions and noise.
The document also includes a strengthening of public awareness campaignsThese actions will be aimed at improving waste separation habits at the source, promoting the correct use of containers and reminding people of the basic rules for depositing waste, with special attention to organic matter and recyclable waste.
Local authorities insist that, although the new contract will mean more resources and more technologyImproving cleanliness in the city also depends on the commitment of residents, so we will work in a coordinated manner with social and neighborhood groups to spread good practices and reduce uncivil behavior related to dumping in public areas.
A much-anticipated contract to modernize urban cleaning
The approval of this mega-contract of waste collection in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for 156,9 million This marks a turning point in the city's cleaning policy. After several years with the previous contract expired and an emergency service in place, the City Council aims to make a qualitative leap in waste management, aligning itself with the environmental requirements of Spain and the European Union in terms of recycling, reduction of spills and improvement of the urban environment.
Combining More staff, a renewed fleet, 10.000 new containers, the deployment of the fifth container with smart locks and advanced control and traceability systems It paints a picture in which the city will have more tools to keep the streets cleaner and better organize garbage collection in all neighborhoods.
At the same time, the new organization between direct and indirect managementWith areas of daily collection and others with service on alternate days, it aims to adjust resources to the reality of each district, reducing inequalities and trying to respond to the historical demands of many areas that were calling for more attention.
Overall, this contract presents itself as an opportunity to completely update the waste management model of the capital of Gran CanariaIncorporating criteria of sustainability, efficiency, and citizen participation. If the City Council's forecasts are met and the rollout is completed on schedule, the coming years will be marked by a profound change in how the city collects, manages, and values its waste.