Date Published: 31/03/2025

New bins in Alhama to tackle rubbish piles

Town Council adds extra bins to key areas as part of ongoing waste management improvements

The Town Council of Alhama de Murcia is stepping up its waste collection service by installing more bins in areas where there is the greatest accumulation of rubbish. This was announced today by Mayor Rosa Sánchez, and the Councillor for Public Services, Antonio García.

"In January, we requested a detailed report from the waste management company to address these critical issues. At the same time, we received numerous letters from residents, many of which had gone unanswered for over a year. This has helped us get a clearer understanding of the situation," said Sánchez.

The new bins are already being set up in various locations, including the town centre and streets such as Calle Tierra, Ginés Campos Avenue, Calle Brasil, Don Diego Rambla, España Avenue, Calle La Perdiz and the Los Tejares and Almendrico roads, among others.

The Mayor also announced a thorough clean-up of rural areas where debris and other waste have been dumped. "I want to emphasise that we have a very good street cleaning contract in Alhama, which gives us many opportunities and has allowed us to anticipate European regulations with accessible containers," Sánchez explained.

She also highlighted that, "Where there was previously only a green bin, we now have separate containers for residual waste, packaging, cardboard, and glass. Soon, there will also be a brown bin for organic waste."

Councilor García noted that with the new contract, "All cleaning service equipment has been completely renovated, using the latest technology. The new containers have a lower visual impact, and the collection capacity for all types of waste has tripled in the municipality. There is no excuse for trash to remain outside the containers."

A significant improvement so far has been the introduction of door-to-door waste collection at the industrial park. "Other municipalities in the region are coming to learn from this service, which isn’t available anywhere else in the Autonomous Community. It’s more commonly found in northern Spain, Catalonia, and the Balearic Islands," said García.

The town’s waste management ordinance, which sets the guidelines for the civic use of the containers, specify certain hours for depositing rubbish (from 8.00pm to 11.00pm) and a penalty system for noncompliance. "Every day, we find bags left outside the containers when they are either empty or half full. This is a real problem," Sánchez commented.

Waste collection workers have also expressed concerns about this issue. "We take the truck out every day, yet we continue to find a lot of trash outside the bins, even when they aren’t full," said Francisco Javier Solano, service manager for STV, the waste collection company. "As part of our reinforcement efforts, we spend over an hour collecting rubbish outside the containers."

The Town Council also offers a free collection service for household goods and waste from small jobs or light gardening. Residents can arrange this service by calling 603 566 419.

In the future, the Town Council plans to start an outreach campaign to connect with residents. This will help determine other problematic areas, with the aim of improving the overall image of the city.

For more information about Alhama, including news and upcoming events, visit the local tourist office or go to the home page of Alhama Today

Image: Ayuntamiento de Alhama de Murcia

Linea Directa Bottom Article A-L CAR INSURANCE

Address

Tourist Office Alhama de Murcia, Plaza Constitucion. Frente Auditorio, nº 10, 30840, ALHAMA DE MURCIA

Tel: 968 633 512

View Website

Oficina de Turismo de Alhama de Murcia

Alhama de Murcia Tourist Office

Alhama de Murcia Tourist information office is located on the edge of the Plaza de la Constitución, just a few metres away from the underground car park and the Town hall of Alhama de Murcia.

The tourist office offers free guided audiotours in English which take visitors around the historical sites of interest in Alhama. These be loaned at any time, although allow an hour and a half to complete the tour, and when loaning the audio equipment visitors are asked to leave passports or ID cards with the tourist office.

The office also carries a full range of leaflets for the archaeological museum of Los Baños, which is built around the historic spa which gives Alhama its name, and the mountains of Sierra Espuña, which is also an important area within the municipality of Alhama. Areas such as El Berro and Gebas have a number of interesting routes which can be followed and there are several picnic areas and good walking routes within the Sierra Espuña natural park.

The tourist office also carries leaflets for the many cultural events and fiestas which take place in Alhama throughout the year, including Los Mayos, Semana Santa, Christmas,the Romería of La Candelaria and the Auto de los Reyes Magos in El Berro.