Spanish municipalities boost recycling with new vehicles and containers

The city of Marbella expanded its selective waste‑collection fleet by adding eight new vehicles – six large trucks and two smaller units equipped with LPG fuel and sensor technology that detect container type and fill level. Mayor Ángeles Muñoz and regional coordinator Manuel Cardeña said the upgrade will improve route efficiency, lower carbon emissions and support the Costa del Sol’s plan to deploy 38 such trucks.

In Salamanca, the town council installed 52 new purple containers for textile and footwear recycling, supplementing an existing network of 83 units. The €75,685 project is co‑financed by EU Next Generation EU funds and follows Spain’s Law 7/2022 on waste and circular economy. In 2025, residents deposited a record 542.71 tonnes of clothing and shoes in the purple bins, a 12.4 % increase over the previous year.