Dolores is crowned the town that recycles the most in the Vega Baja

Data for the door-to-door urban solid waste collection system for 2025 was provided by the Dolores City Council, and it demonstrates a notable improvement in garbage separation and recycling as well as a decrease in the municipality’s financial and environmental expenses.

Tax justice and separation at origin

José Joaquín Hernández, the mayor of Dolores, thanked the municipal technical area for their efforts and reminded everyone that the law, specifically Law 7/2022 on waste and contaminated soils, stipulates that the actual cost of the waste service must not be in deficit and must be passed on to the waste generators.According to the law, the City Council cannot charge people who do not separate their garbage at the source the same rate as those who do, nor can it assume the cost of the service. The latter is responsible for the service’s favourable results, which keep the rate from rising as it does in other locations. One thing is obvious: the people who utilise the door-to-door collection service are responsible for the outstanding service outcomes. The City Council has daily statistics on who uses the service and who doesn’t, that is, who separates their waste and who doesn’t.”

Savings and the waste tax’s future

Almost every grey container costs up to 258.80 euros per tonne to transport the remaining rubbish to landfills outside the province, such as Cuenca or Vélez-Albox, the mayor noted, underscoring the necessity to minimise this fraction.

Dolores will especially benefit from the announcement that the Valencian Regional Government will provide towns with incentives for the organic garbage they produce. According to Jorge Blanco Coll, Director General of Environmental Quality and Education, these incentives are meant to lower the garbage collection charge for those who appropriately separate their waste in line with the “polluter pays” principle.

The City Council will be able to apply a more equitable rate in 2027, rewarding those who adhere to source separation, once the municipality’s residences have been fully identified and contribution zones for buildings have been implemented.

Comparing costs with those of other towns

In this regard, the mayor emphasised that municipalities with a population similar to Dolores will bear a significantly higher cost in waste management in 2026, using the municipality of Catral as an example. He did this because Mr. Guerrero, the Popular Party spokesperson, insisted that we do away with the door-to-door service, just as the neighbouring town did.

He clarified that although the Vega Baja Waste Consortium has projected that Dolores will spend 384,730.40 euros in 2026, Catral is expected to spend 706,442.72 euros, which is 321,712.32 euros more.

Hernández claims that this discrepancy is directly tied to the municipality’s decision to eliminate the door-to-door collection mechanism, which will cause the rate for that population to rise significantly.

The mayor insisted that it would not be just for citizens who appropriately separate their garbage at the source to pay the same as those who do not, pointing out that “the analysis of this data demonstrates that the model works and responds to common sense: those who pollute more, pay more.”

The mayor commended the citizens of Dolores for their hard work and excellent conduct, which has resulted in a significant decrease in the amount of residual garbage that is delivered to landfills. This has a direct influence on a decreased financial burden for both the municipality and the residents.

Technical outcomes: increased recycling and decreased landfill trash

The Dolores City Council’s Environmental Education technician, Yoel Torregrosa, was in charge of outlining the system’s technical outcomes and emphasising that the model’s implementation addresses a specific goal: to enhance waste management, lower waste generation, safeguard the environment, and raise public awareness of environmental issues.

The decrease in the residual fraction, or mixed garbage that ends up in landfills, is one of the most important indicators.

Over 150 tonnes, or more than 150,000 kilogrammes, of waste that have not ended up in a landfill have been cut by Dolores in 2025.

Over 600,000 kg of residual fraction have been reduced cumulatively since the system’s complete installation in mid-2024. This results in cheaper transportation and treatment expenses as well as more effective municipal garbage management.

In terms of specific waste components, Torregrosa reported a 21% rise in the collection of cardboard and paper, with over 15,000 more kilogrammes recycled, and another 21% increase in light packaging, with over 25,000 kilogrammes more than the prior year.

“This data supports a definite trend: waste is better separated and recycled in Dolores,” he said.

The organic component is essential to the system.

The organic fraction, which makes up around 40% of household garbage, has received particular attention from the environmental educator.

Over 200 tonnes of organic garbage were collected in 2024, the year the system was originally put into place; by 2025, that amount had increased by 50% to over 315 tonnes.

Over 522 tonnes of organic garbage have been properly sorted by the municipality in less than two years; the majority of this material is going to be composted rather than dumped in a landfill.

Additionally, a 10% increase in the free collection of household items has improved the municipality’s cleanliness and trash management while also lowering uncontrolled dumping.

One of the pioneers of the circular economy is Dolores.

The mayor concluded, “The door-to-door system works, reduces costs, protects the environment, and allows responsible residents to lower their garbage bills.” He defended the model as an example of sustainability, tax fairness, and the circular economy, setting Dolores as a standard at the regional and national levels.