Faced with a clearly deficient situation in the collection and treatment of urban solid waste in Valladolid where all the effort to separate people’s waste and the process of collecting urban solid waste ends, more than 80%, in the landfill without any type of recycling, Ecologistas en Acción Valladolid presents an alternative to the tax ordinance regulating the rate to look at the long term and begin a major change in waste management in the city.
The European Union Directives must be strictly followed, which clearly establish the “order of priority in waste actions: waste prevention, preparation for reuse, recycling, other types of assessment, and, finally, elimination.” of waste.” A structural change is necessary to meet regulatory objectives and reorient the priorities set, as indicated in the most recent AIREF report of 2023 “Municipal Waste Management Study”.
First, a long-term program is needed.with broad social participation, where the lines of work to be followed in Valladolid are established to achieve the waste reduction objectives. To this end, Ecologistas en Acción proposes establishing a local program with specific measures, for households and public and private organizations, with long-term objectives – from 10 to 20 years – and short-term – from 1 to 5 years. The ordinance to be approved in Valladolid does not contain any future forecast related to EU mandates and environmental common sense. AIREF makes it clear that without this long-term programming most of the efforts will not make sense.
Secondly, we must move towards payment per generation (PxG) -which AIREF describes as “very effective”- betting on a waste rate that meets the requirements of the European Union and Spanish legislation. Law 7/2022, of April 8, on waste expressly incorporates “the obligation for Local Entities to have a rate (…) that should tend towards payment per generation” which “has proven to be a useful instrument in the design of “the municipal collection and treatment rates where each household pays based on the waste it generates.”
In the municipal ordinance, the application of the “polluter pays” principle is very weak since, in essence, the most relevant bulk of the rate is charged on real estate intended for housing (built area and number of registered people). , despite the census difficulties it offers and the need to provide the fee with an educational nature to achieve the primary goal intended: the reduction of waste generated and its subsequent reuse.
Now, the establishment of payment systems per generation must be done taking into account the current waste collection structure, which in our city is currently very different from the one necessary since it is based on the proliferation of containers and an exhaustive collection of waste. themselves.
ThirdEcologistas en Acción Valladolid proposes the implementation of three pilot programs for door-to-door collection in a neighborhood, door-to-door collection for a commercial area and another for commercial surfaces for the establishment of the deposit, return and return system.
In order to be able to carry out a comparative analysis of all types of costs (including environmental costs) in the short, medium and long term, a pilot “door-to-door” collection program can be implemented from mid-2025 in a neighborhood in the city. a small city with characteristics that allow for the greatest commitment of residents to this program. It must be decided, with broad social participation, the frequency of waste collection, the placement of a container for emergency situations, the way to measure the amount of waste generated by each home and the reward that the properties with the least waste will have. generate and deliver. This program could be developed in a neighborhood like Girón and during 2025 its neighbors would pay the fee with the same parameters as the rest of the city’s properties, but those that generate the least waste could have financial compensation at the end of the year.
It must also be established a pilot “door-to-door” collection program for commercial establishments in a specific area of the city, with the same purposes and methodology as the previous one, and in collaboration with representative organizations of merchants. In the selection, an area would be sought where the “rest of the waste” fraction predominates. During 2025, these merchants would pay the rate that is finally approved by the municipal plenary session. The results of the evaluation would be used for future regulations.
Finally, a pilot program would be established with commercial areas in the city for the establishment of deposit, refund and return (SDDR) systems. Yellow containers are not a good measure. However, SDDR programs are, which have been successfully tested for years in some European countries to cover three types of packaging: plastic, metal and glass. There would have to be economic collaboration from ECOEMBES, which is the foundation that receives the money that users pay in advance. And it would have to be done with some economic incentive for consumers.
Finally, Ecologists in Action, proposes the establishment of measurement systems in the city’s containers. A true “smart city” and a municipal waste reduction program requires progressively completing the containers so that they incorporate, in the easiest and cheapest way, instruments for measuring the waste deposited to move towards payment per generation (mandatory bags or labels identification). In the case of containers for organic waste, “card opening” mechanisms would have to be installed, which will be given to each neighbor, since better separation of waste at source is the key to better recycling. AIREF strongly advocates for them.
“All these measures They must be financed in 2025 from the municipal budgets, specifically with the amount obtained from the difference between the income expected from the new waste tax and the cost of the decrease – by 5% – in the collection by real estate tax”says the environmental organization.
How can the local government ensure that financial resources are allocated effectively for the pilot programs related to waste management, and what strategies might be employed to secure additional funding?
Sure, I’d be happy to help! Let’s begin with the first section.
Section 1: The Need for a Long-Term Program with Broad Social Participation
Guest 1: Can you tell us more about why Ecologistas en Acción Valladolid believes that a long-term program with broad social participation is necessary for effective waste management in Valladolid? How do you envision this program being implemented and what role do you see citizens playing in it?
Guest 2: In your opinion, why do you think the current waste collection structure in Valladolid needs to be changed? What challenges do you anticipate in transitioning to a more effective system?
Section 2: The Importance of Moving Towards Payment Per Generation
Guest 1: Can you explain the concept of payment per generation and how it differs from the current system of waste collection in Valladolid? How do you think this system can incentivize households and businesses to reduce their waste output?
Guest 2: Are there any potential drawbacks or challenges to implementing a payment per generation system? How can these be addressed to ensure that it remains effective and fair?
Section 3: Pilot Programs for Door-to-Door Collection and Commercial Areas
Guest 1: What makes you recommend specific neighborhoods and commercial areas for these pilot programs? Can you discuss the potential impacts of these programs on the local economy and community relationships?
Guest 2: In your opinion, what role should the city government play in supporting and monitoring these pilot programs? How can they ensure that they are successful and inform future waste management policies?
Section 4: Establishing Measurement Systems in Containers and Pilot Programs for Deposit, Return, and Recycling
Guest 1: What are some of the key measures needed to improve waste measurement systems in Valladolid? How can these systems help inform future policies related to waste reduction and recycling?
Guest 2: Can you discuss the challenges associated with implementing pilot programs for deposit, return, and recycling? What potential benefits do you see from these programs, and how would they be integrated into the long-term waste management plan?
Section 5: Funding for Implementation
Guest
