Girona ends its garbage collection calendar to combat filth and antisocial behavior

GironaIn 2026, Girona will begin a significant change in its waste collection system. After months of neighborhood complaints, antisocial behavior, and dirty streetsThe Girona city council has decided to put an end to the revolution of the multi-fraction container model, implemented just a year agoThis system, a pioneering one in Catalonia, required residents to dispose of each type of waste—plastic, organic, paper, or general waste—in a specific container, which could only be opened with a smart card, according to a schedule set for each day of the week. However, the model failed to gain traction with the public, and litter scattered around the containers has been a constant problem. Therefore, starting this January, the classic colored containers, one for each type of waste, are returning, allowing residents to dispose of the corresponding waste any day and at any time of the week. The smart card is still required to open the containers. The external company responsible for the city's waste collection service is Girona +Neta, and to implement these substantial changes, the city council had to modify the contract inherited from the previous administration of former mayor Marta Madrenes. During the first months of implementation, the new tripartite governing team has already made specific modifications and applied sanctions to the company for service malfunctions, but this latest measure is the most drastic. As the months have passed, it has become clear that the original contract terms failed to anticipate the enormous complexity of changing the entire waste collection system in a city of over 100,000 inhabitants, so the City Council has had to react as events unfolded. This is especially true in response to complaints and apathy from some residents, who, the dirtier the city became, the less they cooperated, leaving furniture, appliances, and all kinds of trash in the streets as a form of protest and boycott. "We haven't obtained the cooperation we expected," the municipal government acknowledges. In fact, during 2025, the Municipal Police issued more than 1,000 fines for violations of the waste ordinance.

1,130 new containers

The implementation, which was announced in the summer but has not yet been implemented, began this week in Santa Eugenia neighborhoodBordering Salt and Sant Narcís, where street filth was most visible – whether due to residents' lack of civic responsibility or because the cleaning service didn't operate regularly – the rollout will be extended progressively during the first quarter of 2026 to the rest of the neighborhoods, starting with Can Gibert del Pla, Sant Narcís, and Torre de Taialà, and finally reaching the Eixample and Mercadal districts. In less densely populated neighborhoods or streets, such as Sant Daniel, where collection is door-to-door, everything will remain the same, as it has proven very effective. A total of approximately 1,130 new containers are planned, with a specific device for each waste stream, just as before the system change: packaging; paper and cardboard; organic matter; glass; and other waste, which includes sanitary textiles.

The mayor of Girona, Lluc Salellas i Vilar, highlights the advantages of the change: "This improvement to the smart containers allows for greater flexibility in the system and makes waste management easier for citizens. It's a simple system that allows people to throw their rubbish in the appropriate container at any time."

"After months of work, we are pleased to be able to implement this change to the smart container system. The addition of the new containers will improve waste management and help reverse the problem of littering," remarks the Councilor for Climate Action, Sergi Cot.

The cards are retained for the purpose of applying bonuses and penalties.

However, the smart cards will remain in place, as they allow the city council to track each user's recycling rate and, consequently, implement the pay-as-you-throw system, which incentivizes responsible waste management. "You'll still need to use the card to open the containers and apply the pay-as-you-throw system. Residents who use the system correctly will be able to pay less in the 2026 tax," the mayor added. For example, the bill calculation includes bonuses for those who open the container more than 24 times a year and penalties for those who only use the general waste container.

By 2025, an 8% increase in selective waste collection

To ensure proper use of the containers, the presence of environmental educators will be reinforced during implementation. They will inform residents about how the system works, answer questions, and distribute identification cards when necessary. In addition, the Municipal Police will establish patrols to prevent bags from being left outside the containers, an infraction that can result in fines of up to 600 euros. A year ago, the pioneering model of multi-fraction containers and smart cards was installed with the aim of improving recycling rates in the city, complying with state and European waste management directives. According to City Hall data, since its implementation the figures have improved significantly: in 2025, a 58% selective collection rate was achieved, an increase compared to the 50.74% recorded in 2024. These figures, with the addition of the new containers and the elimination of collection times, bring the city closer to the European Union's targets, which set a 70% selective collection rate and a 60% overall recycling rate for 2030.