Alejandro Marichal: "We're launching a historic renewal that marks a turning point in selective waste collection: more capacity, faster waste collection, and a service designed for our residents."
Ruymán Cardoso: "The new containers will increase collection capacity by 48%. Installation will begin next week in San Fernando and El Tablero and will continue progressively until the end of the year."
San Bartolomé de Tirajana takes a major step today toward a cleaner and more sustainable municipality. The Department of Cleaning has unveiled a completely renovated fleet and new containers for the selective collection of lightweight packaging and paper/cardboard in San Fernando Park. With this launch, the municipality debuts a modern, efficient system designed to facilitate recycling for all citizens.
The new service is part of the contract awarded to Ayagaures Medioambiente SLU, worth €4.873.250,26 until 2028, which was recently approved in an extraordinary plenary session.
The event was presided over by the First Deputy Mayor, Alejandro Marichal (CC), and the Councilor for Cleanliness, Ruymán Cardoso (CC), who agreed that this transformation represents a qualitative leap that leaves behind years of an obsolete model and places the municipality on a par with the challenges of 2025.
Marichal recalled that the service was operating under a contract that expired in 2019 and with parameters from 2010, when barely 7,1 kilos of recyclable material were collected per inhabitant per year. According to the data, 27,9 kilos per person are currently recycled, overwhelming a system without its own fleet. In addition, more than 25 containers have been burned in recent months. The First Deputy Mayor added that the renovation will reduce overcrowding, increase accessibility to recycling, and provide a faster and cleaner service. "We invite citizens to collaborate by properly disposing of their waste. The improvement of the service will only be effective if we all participate," he concluded.
Marichal also announced that the Department of Cleaning has a work plan to continue improving waste collection throughout the municipality. "This contract, beyond the cost, will mean new containers, more workers, and better service, and it's just one of the major measures we want to implement in the coming months. When we came to power, we discovered a serious problem with the cleanliness of our municipality, and that's why we're going to undertake other actions," he stated. Among these measures, he highlighted that a budget amendment of €1,2 million will be approved at the next plenary session in September to establish a cleaning agreement that will allow for an additional crew to reinforce waste collection and daily street cleaning. He also noted that, in a matter of weeks, 41 new waste bins will be purchased to be placed along the coastline, and that the department headed by Ruymán Cardoso is already working on improving the areas where the self-compacting garbage trucks are currently located. "Ultimately, we will continue to take measures and actions to improve the cleaning service in San Bartolomé de Tirajana," he added.
For his part, Ruymán Cardoso explained the main improvements in the contract. The Department of Cleaning will renew the container fleet with 560 new units, 280 yellow and 280 blue, compared to the existing 380, representing a 47,37% increase in collection capacity. Installation will begin next week in San Fernando and El Tablero and will continue progressively until the end of the year. The old and new containers will coexist for a time until they are fully installed.
The councilor also highlighted the incorporation of a modern, proprietary fleet, consisting of side-loading collection trucks, support vehicles, cleaning vans, and pressure washers, supported by a workshop and spare parts warehouse that will ensure the continuity of the service. The new model represents a 150% increase in logistical capacity and will allow for a more agile and efficient service. Furthermore, the containers will be equipped with sensors to measure their fill level in real time, thus optimizing collection routes and resource planning. "With more containers, more routes, more human and material resources, we are responding to the real needs of today, not those of 15 years ago. This contract represents a turning point in the municipality's selective collection," stated Cardoso.
The councilor also noted that containers for the collection of textile waste and used cooking oil will soon be installed. This service has a distinctly social impact, as it is reserved for Special Employment Centers with Social Initiatives and Employment Integration Companies, promoting the employment of people with disabilities.
New image: WHAT YOU WANT, YOU TAKE CARE OF
In parallel with the launch of the new service, the Department of Cleaning has launched the communication and awareness campaign "What you love, you take care of," which is already displayed on trucks and containers. Its objective is twofold: to recognize the work of cleaning services and to promote good recycling and environmental care practices.
The campaign's central message, explained Alejandro Marichal, "invites us to care for the municipality as we care for our own home: the streets, squares, roads, and beaches are part of our daily lives, the setting for our shared stories. We love it and we must care for it." The visual identity incorporates leaves inspired by plant species from the Archipelago, such as the palm tree, gorse, tabaiba, verol, cardón, and bejeque, symbols of the citizenry's connection to their natural heritage. "We want new generations to grow up with responsible habits and understand that keeping clean isn't just about collecting, but about preventing, caring for, and valuing our environment," added Marichal.
The Department of Cleaning reaffirms its commitment to sustainability and the quality of public services and encourages residents and tourists to collaborate so that San Bartolomé de Tirajana can implement and consolidate an exemplary cleaning and recycling model.
