The Orihuela local government has taken its first major step toward overhauling the management of its waste collection and street cleaning services, along with the maintenance of coastal roads.
A special council meeting has been scheduled for next Wednesday to approve the changes, following a preparatory information session and spokesperson meeting this Friday. Initially, the council had intended to present the proposal in March to begin implementation by early April, ahead of Easter—at least for the road maintenance service.
Up until now, solid urban waste collection (RSU) has been carried out directly by the Town Hall using its own resources, under a “temporary” agreement dating back to 2012. Despite its provisional nature, the service has continued in virtually the same conditions ever since. Years of underinvestment have led to clear signs of equipment deterioration and staff shortages, resulting in ongoing service deficiencies and a steady stream of public complaints.
The state of the coastal roads has also been a frequent source of criticism. Maintenance was previously handled by a private contractor until the contract expired in February. Rather than launch a new tender, the council has opted to take over management of the service.
From now on, both services will be managed by Orihuela’s municipal environmental services company, Servicio de Gestión Medioambiental (SGM)—formerly known as Surpal—headed by former street cleaning PP councillor Dámaso Aparicio.
Once the council formally approves the new management model, the Contracts Department will finalize the service handovers. The road maintenance transition will happen quickly, while the waste collection transition is expected to take longer, likely becoming operational in the final quarter of the year.
Investment Plans
The annual cost of maintaining the roads is projected at €1.3 million through 2029. This represents an increase of €555,000 over the previous contract with the private company, which stood at €767,000 per year.
For RSU, the council plans to invest €3 million annually over the next six years. The Local Waste Management Plan outlines 23 improvement measures, including investment in new machinery and expanded staffing. The plan also includes the purchase of new garbage trucks and support vehicles.
The 2025 municipal budget includes an updated waste collection fee, which will now cover 92.75% of the service cost—freeing up funds for other priority projects. As part of this update, vehicles and waste containers will be replaced, and the transport fleet will be modernized.
However, the fee hike—now at €203 annually, nearly triple the previous amount—has sparked public outrage. The Unidos por la Costa neighbourhood association has launched an initiative encouraging residents who paid the first half of the year’s fee to challenge it through an administrative appeal by June 2.
They argue that the flat-rate fee violates the law, as waste collection charges should be based on the amount of waste generated. Instead, the new fee is the same for all households, regardless of the size of the home, number of residents, usage, street category, or type of waste.
“It’s time to take action,” the association said, “because services in the coastal area are worsening every day due to severe shortages of staff and equipment, yet we’re being forced to pay three times more.”
The Town Hall commissioned two reports from the same consulting firm that assessed the feasibility of assigning coastal green space maintenance to the municipal company ILDO. These reports found that using SGM for the new services would save €628,685 annually in waste management and over €620,000 per year in road maintenance compared to the current model—while also improving efficiency and responsiveness.
