Alejandro Marichal: “We know there are still aspects to improve, but these works are part of the planning initiated at the beginning of the legislature to modernize the service and respond to the demands of the residents.”
Ruymán Cardoso: “We've added three new facilities in El Tablero, Sonneland, and San Fernando, and a complete renovation in the Las Llaves residential area. In addition, we've installed self-compacting bins that will reduce waste volume by up to 70%, allowing us to increase capacity and optimize collection.”
The Department of Sanitation has begun work on the construction and improvement of four municipal solid waste and recycling collection points in different areas of the municipality, with an estimated completion time of two months. The project includes the construction of three new facilities in El Tablero (Hawái Street), Sonneland (César Manrique Street), and San Fernando (Secundino Delgado Street), as well as the complete renovation of the existing collection point in the Las Llaves residential area (Fataga Street). The contract has been awarded to Diversity and Equity SL and represents a total investment of €307.405.
The project is being developed within the framework of the Gran Canaria Island Council's Cooperation Plan, which is contributing €272.000, while municipal funding amounts to €35.350 to complete the necessary piping and connections. The intervention aims to organize and modernize the waste collection points, improve accessibility, centralize selective collection, and reduce problems associated with overflows and uncontrolled dumping, providing a solution better suited to daily use.
The new facilities will incorporate self-compacting machines capable of reducing waste volume by up to 70%, increasing storage capacity and optimizing collection frequency. In addition, containers for paper and cardboard, packaging, textiles, and used oil will be installed, with the aim of consolidating the main recycling services in a single location, avoiding scattered collection points, and improving service efficiency.
In the Las Llaves residential development, the project includes the removal of the existing walls, which will be replaced with planters to enhance the landscape integration of the area. Generally, improvements will be made to the perimeter fencing, along with a new sanitation network, water supply, and electrical connection via underground conduits. Additionally, concrete platforms with a non-slip finish will be constructed to improve safety and accessibility.
The First Deputy Mayor, Alejandro Marichal, framed the project within the ongoing process of service improvement initiated at the beginning of the legislative term. “We know there are still aspects to resolve and areas where we must continue working, but these works are part of a clear plan that we launched at the start of our term to modernize the service and respond to residents' demands,” he stated. Marichal emphasized that “we are not talking about isolated actions, but rather a continuous line of work that is already yielding visible results in various neighborhoods and will continue to progress in the coming months.”
For his part, the councilor responsible for the area, Ruyman Cardoso, explained that the improvements will increase capacity, organization, and functionality at the collection points. “With the addition of self-compacting bins, we reduce the volume of waste by up to 70%, allowing us to optimize collection and prevent overflows. Furthermore, we are concentrating the main recycling services in one location to facilitate separation and make it more convenient for residents,” he explained. Cardoso added that “we are also addressing the root of the problem with new pipes, a sanitation network, safe platforms, and better integration into the surrounding area, so that these spaces cease to be sources of conflict and become organized and suitable collection points.”
This action is part of the ongoing service renewal and reinforcement process carried out between 2023 and 2026, with measures focused on modernizing equipment, improving selective waste collection, and strengthening operations in high-traffic areas. These measures include the selective waste collection contract, valid until 2028 and awarded for approximately €4,9 million. This contract incorporates a more efficient fleet and the installation of 560 new containers, as well as increased staffing in neighborhoods, along footpaths, and on rural access roads through an agreement with the Foresta Foundation. Initial areas of intervention include El Pajar, Castillo del Romeral, and Los Olivos de El Tablero.
In parallel, actions have been promoted such as the installation of 43 solar-powered self-compacting waste bins on the coast of Maspalomas Costa Canaria, the placement of 82 new containers for used vegetable oil and textile waste, the reinforcement of glass recycling in the hospitality industry and intensive cleanings for the removal of bulky waste and improvement of spill sites, maintaining a line of continuity aimed at a more efficient service.
