The fight to improve the cleanliness in the UserA district, due to the improper disposal of waste, adds a new initiative that was presented at the fourth technical table meeting in the District Council. The Madrid Municipal Council will start a pilot project in the Zofío neighborhood, which includes replacing household bins with 800-liter capacity containers permanently installed on public roads.
The councilor for cleaning and green areas, José Antonio Martínez Páramo, and Sonia, the district councilor, transferred the project to neighborhood associations and AMPE yesterday. Martínez Páramo stated that this pilot reflects the Municipal Council’s strong commitment to UserA: "We are exploring all ways to effectively address this coexistence problem and improve the quality of the residents."
In total, 20 US will be activated, each equipped with three separate containers for organic matter, rest, and packaging. Regarding the frequency of waste collection from containers, recent contracts have significantly improved the service. While waste used to be collected 11 times a week, it is now collected 20 times, distributed as follows: seven for organic fraction, seven for containers, and six for rest fraction, in addition to those set for glass and cardboard.
The shock plan against waste abandonment by users was launched in March 2024 and included the creation of the technical work table. Among the actions taken were the increase in containers, which meant an increase in capacity of over 450,000 liters, and the review and relocation of pubs in the Zofrio neighborhood.
Municipal services pass through each area nine times a day, on average, collecting what is there. These areas receive the same service as Puerta del Sol or La Gran Vía.
Strengthening the work of inspectors
The Madrid Municipal Council is making a significant effort to raise public awareness about the importance of not abandoning waste on public roads to improve the city’s cleanliness. To achieve this, alongside the various measures implemented, district inspection works have been reinforced. Last year, collection and cleaning services carried out 485 inspection certificates for ordinance violations: 126 for cleaning services and 359 for collection.
In December, an informative campaign was conducted in the Almendrales, Zofrio, Pradolongo, and Moscardó neighborhoods. During its development, informants visited 5,704 portals, where they placed posters on proper waste management, as well as in shops between these portals to ensure maximum campaign dissemination.
Simultaneously, the cleaning service launched another information campaign in areas with high foot traffic in December: environmental educators explain to citizens the correct use of bins and containers, the proper handling of waste, and address any raised concerns by residents.
Furthermore, within the possible technical cleaning sanctions that the Municipal Council can impose in case of improper waste abandonment on public roads, informative visits are made to shops and property communities, and brochures are distributed in three languages (Spanish, Chinese, and English) to ensure all residents and merchants are reached.
Moreover, over 5,000 stickers with the same information were distributed for household bins, while awareness team members addressed all conflict points.
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