Waste management service changes in Catalonia

Municipalities across Catalonia are undergoing various transitions in their waste management and cleaning services. In Igualada, the ‘Unitat de Neteja Barris a Fons’ initiative has been launched to provide monthly deep cleaning across all city neighborhoods. More recently, the Esquerra Republicana (ERC) party presented a sustainability package for the city. This proposal includes a new selective waste collection model designed to increase recycling rates by linking service costs to individual separation habits, alongside plans for riverbank recovery, expanded electric vehicle charging networks, and a plan to combat energy poverty. In Amposta, the City Council approved a local waste prevention plan consisting of 26 actions to reduce waste generation. This follows reports that 2025 recycling rates in the area reached only 43.12 percent, falling below both the Montsià regional and Catalan averages. The plan is supported by a subsidy from the Waste Agency of Catalonia targeting food waste reduction. Service delivery continues to face challenges in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, Olèrdola, and Sant Quintí de Mediona. Local governments there are demanding solutions for significant delays in door-to-door waste collection, which have caused night shifts to extend into the following afternoon. The Penedès-Garraf Mancomunitat attributed these delays to ongoing collective bargaining negotiations with service provider workers. Conversely, the Gironès region reports high success with selective collection. Municipalities including Juià, Sant Joan de Mollet, and Llambilles have achieved high rankings in Catalonia. The eight Gironès municipalities using the door-to-door system reached an average selective collection rate of 86.7%, well above the regional average of 48.13%. Recent developments include Palafrugell approving a collaboration agreement with Lloret de Mar to manage municipal waste until 2029 at an estimated cost of 3.5 million euros.