The Contracting Table of the Municipality of La Laguna just proposed to Urbaser as the winner of the waste collection and street cleaning service in the municipality, which repeats as concessionaire after achieving the highest score, pending only the approval by the local Government Board and the subsequent signing of the contract, for 136,226. 985 euros and a duration of eight years, with the possibility of being extended for another two.
The new contract promoted by the City Council incorporates a series of improvements and novelties that modernize the service, which will have a direct impact on the quality of life of residents and visitors, since from the first moment they will perceive a notable improvement in the cleanliness of the municipality and a more modern, efficient service according to their needs, as highlighted by the Municipal Services area.
The mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, values that “since the beginning of my mandate I made it a priority to put an end to the interim situation in which the street cleaning and waste collection system was found. A public service that, despite being essential, has been provided for more than three years in a transitory framework due to the approval of the previous Corporation, through the extension of the concession beyond the legally established extension and its inaction to convene the mandatory contest”.
“It has been more than two years of intense work for its regularization, which I hope will culminate imminently with the approval of the proposal of the Contracting Committee by the Local Government Board and with the subsequent signing of the contract with the company. successful bidder”, affirms the local councillor.
Gutiérrez highlights that, once it is formalized, “I will have achieved one of my fundamental purposes as mayor: that this priority service for La Laguna has all the legal guarantees, offering greater stability to the workforce, made up of more than 300 people, and giving free rein to an important investment that, without a doubt, will have repercussions in an improvement of the quality of life of the citizens and in a great advance in the sustainable development of the municipality”.
“With the more than 136 million for a maximum of 10 years, and following the requirements established by the City Council, I trust that a notable boost will be given to the figures for recycling urban waste and, from the first moment, we will see great advances in This line. The equipment will be renewed and modernized, for example, with the inclusion of the fifth container and the collection of used oil, and there will be a human team of more than a hundred workers”, affirms the mayor.
Likewise, among the novelties also stand out “the annual educational and awareness campaigns aimed at promoting selective collection, because citizen awareness is one of the key legs to achieve the objectives of sustainable development, as well as the strong commitment to new technologies to facilitate communication with our neighbors, which is essential in a quality service”.
In addition, he continues, “213 people will be in charge of cleaning the streets of La Laguna, who will also have sustainable material means. This will result in greater care for all our neighborhoods and towns, reinforcing comprehensive cleaning devices that make it possible to improve the appearance and hygiene of public spaces. An intensive operation that, immediately, I have already requested to be carried out in the Historic District”.
With the modernization of the service, the current regulations on waste are also complied with, as well as with the EU Directive 2018/851 of the European Parliament, which establishes that in the year 2035 the objective of recycling 65 % of urban waste produced.
The novelties of the new contract will gradually be incorporated into the service during the first year and are summarized in the extension and provision of new machinery, the installation of the fifth container for the collection of organic waste and the collection of used oil, which will be installed in all the most commercial sectors and those associated with the hotel industry, according to data from the area. Also, all containers will be renewed and it is required that at least half be accessible, door-to-door service is maintained and the new contract seeks to increase selective collection. Likewise, it is committed to computerization and modernization, with computer tools to improve the control and management of services, to which the population will be able to have access, with the ultimate goal that the interaction between citizens, the City Council of La Laguna and the company improves through these communication channels.
Street cleaning in La Laguna
Specifically, the service is divided into two large blocks that in turn are complementary to each other: street cleaning and urban solid waste collection.
With regard to street cleaning, the new contract is about achieving excellence in the cleaning of roads and streets through a service with the highest level of efficiency possible and that this translates into the best possible image of the municipality, according to stands out from the Municipal Services area.
Thus, this objective will be achieved by focusing especially on the ordinary service, improving both sweeping and flushing services; with the rapid resolution of incidents on public roads; the achievement of a maximum degree of ‘useful cleanliness’, understanding this as maintaining an optimal state of cleanliness during the hours of the day that have the greatest impact on citizens; planning, in addition, a good cleaning service on Sundays and holidays, as well as for seasonal coverage and events. In addition, other characteristics of the new service will be the use of efficient and clean technologies, both in vehicles and in facilities, prioritizing the use of zero-emission equipment in investments; an attempt will be made to achieve a high degree of citizen awareness with campaigns and apps for incidents; and the service will be provided with an image, versatility and efficiency in accordance with the needs and demands of the municipality, among others, according to data from the area.
Regarding the material means proposed, an analysis has been made to make a balanced choice of vehicles and machinery, trying at all times to combine the performance of an efficient service with high quality standards with environmentally sustainable and energy efficient machinery, contemplating a fleet composed mainly of electric vehicles by 75.6%.
In terms of human resources, a total of 213 operators is planned, the number of personnel necessary to cover the 181 positions established in the organization of services, taking into account the substitution of vacations, permits, as well as the estimated coverage for absenteeism , according to area data.
waste collection
Regarding the collection of urban solid waste, the service proposed in this new contract includes the separate collection operations of the different waste fractions, as well as their transport to the authorized manager, so that the management will be adjusted at all times to the model implemented in the City Council, adapting to the different urban and socioeconomic realities of each area of La Laguna to offer efficient and effective frequencies and treatments that respond to the needs posed by the municipality.
Specifically, operations such as the collection of the rest fraction, light packaging, paper-cardboard and organic, as well as bulky waste, vehicles abandoned on public roads, industrial waste, dead domestic animals, or domestic vegetable oil are contemplated. , in addition to the service of mini clean points and supply, cleaning and maintenance of containers, among others.
A fundamental aspect of the new contract is that the City Council, with the aim of continuing to move towards waste management in accordance with the objectives of the EU and the State, has decided to implement the segregated collection of organic waste throughout the municipality, they highlighted from the Municipal Services area. For this reason, a strategy and a campaign have been defined in order to increase participation, reduce the improper ones within the organic fraction and thus reduce the generation of the rest fraction.
As for the material means for waste collection, low CO2 emission vehicles are planned as essential, contemplating configurations with part of the vehicles assigned to the electric collection service.
Regarding human resources, a total workforce of 118 operators is planned for 104 positions, including Sundays and holidays, according to data from the area.
Another aspect of the new contract that stands out is the carrying out of environmental awareness and communication campaigns, for which a plan has been designed to approach citizen attention and information from all perspectives, contemplating a face-to-face office, telematic attention, of environmental education and awareness, the organic card/keychain delivery service to the home and a constant follow-up action at street level, which will allow problems to be detected and the campaigns and actions to be carried out to be designed.
Likewise, a minimum of two 30-hour training courses will be held annually for vulnerable groups in the municipality.
Finally, the establishment of a technological control system for the service with the inclusion of a platform that can communicate with any municipal application is also highlighted.
