Arona is the municipality in Tenerife that recycles the highest amount of packaging, as well as paper and cardboard. According to its government, “they do so with figures that are markedly above the island and regional average.” This assertion is supported by data presented at the II Tenerife + Sostenible Forum, organized by the Cabildo and the non-profit environmental organization, Ecoembes.
The study “The Challenge of Increasing Packaging Collection in the Tenerife Island,” by Carlota Cruz and Juan Carlos Arranz, shows that the selective collection of lightweight packaging in Canary Islands per kilogram per inhabitant in 2022 was 13.7 kilograms, with Tenerife falling below this figure at an average of 12.5, despite experiencing an increase of over 5% from the previous year.
By municipalities, Arona leads the chart with 19.1 kilograms per inhabitant per year, marking an 89% increase compared to data from five years ago, when the average increase in that period in the Canary Islands was 29%, while in Tenerife, it reached 33%.
Regarding the collection of paper and cardboard, “the figures once again position Arona as the benchmark in the Tenerife Island.” The average contribution in the archipelago was 14.2 kilograms per inhabitant per year, while the island figures were slightly below, at 13.6 kilograms – with an increase of 3.8% from the previous year. In Arona, the numbers are significantly higher, with 29.9 kilograms per inhabitant per year of selective collection of paper and cardboard, more than double the average registered across Tenerife and the entire Canary Islands.
The first deputy mayor and councilor for Environment, Sustainability, and Public Services, Clari Pérez, celebrates the data and highlights that “we understand that this must be the way forward, that is, Arona must continue to embrace sustainability by recovering and reusing products and materials.” The councilor argues that “by separating and recycling, we can further ensure sustainable development in our municipality. We are very aware that a lot of work needs to be done with the population, through awareness campaigns, especially among the younger generations, who ultimately hold the fate of this planet in their hands.”
