Mallorca: five-million-euro rubbish deal sparks 8-year warning

Rubbish bags could end up outside homes in Llucmajor, Mallorca, rather than beside communal bins, a local party has warned. Llibertat Llucmajor was the only group to vote against awarding the new waste-collection contract on Friday. It says the deal could extend the municipality’s rubbish problem for another eight years.

The party says local people pay about 7.5 million euros a year in rubbish charges, according to Town Hall tax data, while the contract assigns around five million euros to the service. Spokesman Alexandro Gaffar said the budget falls short for a municipality spread across a large and varied area.

Doorstep collections and locked bins

Llibertat Llucmajor says the planned door-to-door collection in housing estates does not include enough vehicles. It believes the system may work in some small estates, but not in almost all of them.

Councillor Miguel Pascual warned that rubbish would not disappear, but move from bin areas to front doors and house fronts. The party says this could bring bad smells, dirt and hygiene concerns.

The plan also restricts the few available bins in s'Arenal and some estate streets with electronic keys. Llibertat Llucmajor says tourists, visitors and people passing through s'Arenal would be unable to use them, leaving bags around the bins or on the ground.

Party calls for contract change

The group also criticised the Friday-morning timing of the council meeting, saying a decision of this scale held during working hours made it harder for local people to attend. It said neighbourhood associations were not invited to speak before the vote.

Llucmajor has 18 urban centres with different geographical, population and seasonal needs, the party said. It wants the contract changed after the municipal elections in May 2027, with more money put into rubbish collection.

Topics: Environment · Tourism · Politics · Llucmajor · Palma

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com