It's not going to be easy. The European Union has clearly defined the objectives: By 2020, half of urban waste should be recycled, by 2025 55% and by 2035 65%. Furthermore, no more than 10% of the waste deposited in landfill will be discharged. In Álava, urban waste has so far been managed through the 2006-2016 plan, but the objectives of the plan approved by the Member ten years ago have not been met, and the country is far from the figures defined by Europe.

The European Union has referred to the circular economy as a means of alleviating the scourge of waste, a theory based on the concepts of reduction, reuse and recycling. The circular economy aims to maintain in the system the availability and value of products, accessories and resources, or in other words, to remove waste from our ecosystem. Any biodegradable matter must be returned to nature and, if not, reintroduced into the system.

The Provincial Council of Álava has also referred to the circular economy and the foral government has stated that these principles are intended to develop an urban waste management plan until 2030. The first draft was presented in September 2017, and last week in the Environment Committee of the General Boards the Deputy General Ramiro González, the Environment Deputy Josean Galera and the technical leaders of the City of Vitoria-Gasteiz and the Council of Álava to explain the final retouches to the plan. In the coming months, the political parties will begin the debate on the new urban waste management plan in Álava and will have to face the "critical path" that the plan itself recognises.

Substantial changes are needed

Reduce, recycle and reuse. Political decision-makers will have to take into account in the debate the three criteria that Europe has set and that the country will have to take important steps to meet them in a very short time. First of all, the amount of waste generated by each seaweed will have to be reduced, since in 2016 419 kilos per person were generated, and the law sets a reference per inhabitant of 418.5 kilos. The distance is small and compared to the surrounding countries, Álava has much more favorable data, with an average of 514 kilos per inhabitant in the CAPV, but it is a percentage that must be controlled and improved.

On the other hand, the recycling rate of urban waste, which is currently only recycled by 31%, will have to be increased and at least 50% recycled by 2020. The Plan has defined priority types of waste, highlighting organic waste among all because of its higher volume and low rate of selective collection.

Furthermore, the amount of waste that is deposited in the Gardelegi landfill will have to be reduced in its entirety; at present, 52% of the waste from Álava is destined for Gardelegui and the landfill is the last measure that Europe recommends for waste. By 2020, therefore, a maximum of 35% of the waste will be deposited at Gardelegi and a maximum of 15% by 2030.

This news was posted by Arabako Aleak and we brought it with the Creative Commons license.