To mark World Environment Day on 5 June, it’s worth remembering that looking after the planet is everyone’s responsibility. Today we focus on an area with much room for improvement in Spain: waste management. The country still lags far behind the efficient recycling systems found in northern Europe.
Beyond the classic recycling bins for glass (green igloo), paper (blue bin), “drinks cartons”, plastic and metal containers (yellow bin), and clothing and footwear (beige square bin), there is in fact a wide network of facilities and services throughout Spain that allow residents to safely and responsibly recycle specific and/or hazardous waste.
These services allow the disposal of items that should never end up in household rubbish, such as:
Electrical appliances Electronic devices Batteries Bulbs, fluorescent tubes
Paint & similar products Cleaning products Cables Used cooking oil
Ink cartridges Aerosols X-rays Toys, bikes
…and in some cases, garden cuttings, labelled hazardous substances, mattresses, sanitary ware, tyres, rubble or scrap metal.
Proper disposal prevents soil and water pollution, promotes material reuse, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. These alternative drop-off points are not widely known, so here’s an overview:
- Fixed recycling points
Most large towns have at least one fixed recycling point (also called an ‘ecopark’) where you can deposit special household waste free of charge. Check with your local council (or OMITA in rural areas) or visit their website for exact locations and opening hours.
- Mobile recycling points: local recycling made easier
To make recycling even more accessible, some towns operate mobile recycling units (puntos limpios móviles) that visit neighbourhoods and villages throughout the year. These vehicles follow weekly routes and stop for several hours at designated spots in each village to collect hazardous or hard-to-recycle waste like those listed above. Some also offer item exchange services for reusable goods. Check when they’re scheduled to visit your area!
Towns with mobile recycling services:
- Murcia: Permanent service across neighbourhoods and rural districts. Tel: 900 511 133. Info and map: https://www.murciaciudadsostenible.es/ecopuntos
- Cartagena: Weekly routes covering urban and coastal areas. Tel: 900 102 812. More info: https://www.cartagena.es/ecoembes/docs/Ecoparquesmoviles.pdf
- Torre Pacheco: Mobile service complements the fixed ecopark. Tel: 968 585 340. Schedule: https://www.stvgestion.com/noticias/ecoparque-movil-torre-pacheco
- Lorca: Monthly rounds across rural districts. Tel: 968 439 170. Details: https://limusa.es/gestion-de-residuos/ruta-ecoparque-movil
Other towns with mobile collection vehicles include: Alcantarilla, Blanca, Calasparra, Mula, Jumilla, San Javier and San Pedro del Pinatar.
Special cases
Local councils offer a free collection service for bulky items such as furniture. Just call to ask when and where to leave them near your home. In some towns, item reuse is encouraged through exchange points for second-hand goods such as books or small appliances. Finally, don’t forget: unused or expired medicines must be returned to the pharmacy and placed in the SIGRE collection point.
Knowing and using these alternatives to standard street bins is a simple but powerful step in protecting the environment. And remember—there’s an even better way to help our planet: reduce unnecessary purchases (ask yourself, do I really need this?), and reuse anything that still has life in it (more on that in another article). Only when these options aren’t viable should recycling come into play.
This 5 June—and every day—let’s remember the world is our shared home, and each of us can do our bit to keep our little corner clean. If we must consume, let’s do so responsibly and with awareness.
