Ziordia case opens debate on the recycling business
- The Ciudadela de Navarra has appeared in many media since last Monday night. Since the Gurelur group denounced that the company Ekotrade is dumping re-use clothing collected in an old pavilion in Gipuzkoa and possibly throughout the CAV. The pavilion, located at kilometre 392 on the N-1 road, has been empty since 2013, but belongs to an old Community composting company.
Gurelur's spokesman, Toño Munilla, has condemned the facts by considering that they are "playing with the ecological sensitivity of the people". He has denounced that people are throwing away "illegally" clothes of goodwill and that at the cost of that they are doing business, as well as "Italian mafias".
Since September last year, it was suspected that the neighbours of Ziordia were piling up clothes in the pavilion, as they observed the transit of trucks through the enclosure. It was also reached in the municipal plenary, where the Foral Police of Navarra were informed. On 14 November, the police intercepted a truck carrying clothing from the village of Ekotrade. The company claimed "a logistical problem".
On this occasion, it was the members of the Gurelur group who denounced the spillage. A member of the group observed a truck in the village pavilion and, after pursuing it, arrived at the headquarters of Ekotrade in Astigarraga.
EKOTRAD, for its part, assured that it did not offer a laundry recycling service and that the incident reported by Gurelur was a "failure" in one of the transport companies. Argia has contacted the company, but did not want to give further statements, as he has put the case in the hands of his lawyers. Gurelur denied these statements by noting that the amount of clothing there is is not a result of an occasional spill, but that "the quantity shows that there are clothes that have been thrown away some time ago".
Ekotrade or Gurelur have not clarified where the garment comes from. ARGIA has spoken to the company that receives more clothing to reuse in Gipuzkoa, Koopera, and they have made it clear that they have no relationship with Ekotrade.
Face to face
On Monday, March 9, Ekotrade has called Gurelur members in Astigarraga to know the company’s facilities and to know how they work. Gurelur and the City of Ziordia have given priority to cleaning the pavilion, and they have asked the company and the Navarra administration to do so. Gurelur's spokesman, Toño Munilla, has stated that "the most sensible thing Ekotrad can do is to accept the error, that the important thing is to correct it".
Gurelur has called for the removal of clothes and the closure of the pavilion, as the roof is at risk of falling. The area's neighbors have indicated that they have approached the area to search for clothes and that "some mishap could occur".
Social pressure
Gurelur has been satisfied with the media and society's response to the issue. "When there's social pressure, administrations start moving," says Munilla. For example, the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa has asked for explanations during these days for the Bateragune case. The Environment Department has asked the Gipukoa communities for information on "the undertaking awarding the selective collection of tissues and the object of collection".
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