Overwhelmed by rubbish: Orihuela Costa residents denounce inefficient waste collection

The issue of rubbish collection and street cleaning on the Orihuela Costa is unquestionably a persistent concern for both residents and visitors. This situation continues to deteriorate each year as the population increases during the summer months, when tourism increases the total population to over 300,000 during this period.

A hazard to public health

Numerous individuals utilise social media platforms to document what they term a “state of institutional neglect,” which includes the accumulation of debris on numerous streets, the overgrowth of trees, and the inadequate maintenance of pavements and roads. They regret that such neglect presents “a public health and hygiene hazard that citizens must contend with on a daily basis.”

Weekly collection and an increase in rodent populations

The intermittent collection of recycling receptacles, which they assert have not been emptied for more than a week, is one of the most notable issues they highlight. The neighbourhood group asserts that a single municipal vehicle solely provides this service, operating from Monday to Friday.

Similarly, numerous residents of the Orihuela coast express their regret that the accumulation of refuse and the filthy streets are resulting in more severe issues, including the proliferation of rodents, which are now being detected in numerous homes and gardens.

Municipal administration that is inadequate

They describe the situation as “inexplicable,” given the recent increase in the refuse collection rate: “We are confronted with a completely unjustified shortage of resources, despite the fact that there are over 130 million euros in the bank and the waste collection rate has tripled.”

Currently, the residents are directly appealing to the political responsibility of both the PP and Vox, the party that holds the Costa council seat: “Manuel Mestre, the Costa councillor, appears to be content with the situation and appears to be unconcerned with the dissatisfaction of his residents.” Naturally, there are many jobs at stake that make it difficult to even consider resignations. The statement concludes, “For all of these reasons, we rate the management of this government as a complete failure.”

The arrival of new vehicles to alleviate the situation

The association’s assertions are refuted by the City Council, which claims that it maintains a fleet of over ten specialised waste collection vehicles along the coast. Nevertheless, they contend that the primary issue is not the quantity of vehicles available but rather their age.

The preponderance of the cleaning fleet was established in 2006, as indicated by municipal sources that were consulted. The continuous breakdowns of these vehicles have rendered efficient work impossible, and they typically have a useful life of approximately four years. They are optimistic that this situation may be resolved in the near future, as they anticipate the arrival of up to five new vehicles to replace those that necessitate additional municipal maintenance.

The council is experiencing difficulties due to staff shortages

In the same vein, the City Council asserts that the government team’s situation is being made less than preferable by the impediment to hiring new staff for Street Cleaning and Urban Solid Waste (MSW). Consequently, they recruited approximately 50 temporary employees during the summer.

Nevertheless, they clarify that the Urban Cleaning area’s numerous vacancies and absences would present a dilemma in terms of administering this municipal department, despite the implementation of summer reinforcements.

Residents describe the situation as “shameful” and “sickening,” and they routinely denounce it in the hope of one day witnessing an improvement in their neighbourhoods.