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Date Published: 13/01/2025

Pay-per-use rubbish system approved in Orihuela

The measure aims to promote recycling in Orihuela Costa and beyond

The deadline for objections has passed and Orihuela’s first ‘Local Waste Plan’ has officially been approved, bringing in a new wave of charges, rubbish collection procedures and recycling measures.

The plan will be rolled out across the entire Valencian Community and, at an absolute minimum, will require municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants to adopt a door-to-door collection system for green waste and light packaging. Local authorities also have the option of developing a different scheme which would instead charge households for the waste they generate, thus rewarding those who choose to recycle.

These changes are certainly not coming before their time. Orihuela city and its coastal enclaves have a terrible recycling record and for years now, residents have been complaining about overflowing communal bins and rubbish piling up beside them.

New measures coming into force

The plan proposes a total of 23 measures, including video surveillance at uncontrolled dumping points and hefty fines for those who are caught.

Two new eco-parks will be built to make recycling easier – one on the coast and another in the city centre – and a series of community-based campaigns will be launched to educate residents about responsible household waste management and disposal.

Local rejoice – there’s a plan in place to greatly increase the number of rubbish bins in urbanisations to meet the increased year-round demand, and a new team will be hired to make sure these are kept clean and in good repair.

While the final details still have to be announced, some of the most important aspects of the waste management plan will be the expansion of door-to-door collection in pilot areas; the implementation of a fifth container throughout the municipal area to facilitate separation at source, and payment per generation (a system that will allow citizens to pay less if they generate less mixed waste).

To get this ambitious plan up and running, Orihuela City Council will invest 20 million euros in new trucks and other machinery over the next 6 years and will increase its workforce by around 50.

The overall aim is to “improve selective collection at source, separating waste in its corresponding containers in order to reduce the rate, and to do so, citizen collaboration is necessary," explained the councillor for RSU, Rocío Ortuño.

Also of interest: New private hospital to be built in Orihuela Costa

Image: Unidos X La Costa

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