The new waste management model, endorsed by the Cabildo of Tenerife and supported by the 31 municipalities of the Island, will benefit over a million residents. This marks an unprecedented commitment to sustainability, territory protection, recycling promotion, and energy efficiency, all under the umbrella of a circular economy project.
The goal is to effectively tackle the 500,000 tons of waste generated annually on the Island. President of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, aims to make Tenerife a benchmark in sustainable management among the island territories of the outermost regions.
To implement this model, the Tenerife Cabildo will invest nearly 400 million Euros over the next 15 years in a contract granted to UTE Nivaria, a collaboration between Urbaser and FCC Medio Ambiente, leading environmental management companies. This contract represents the largest public service agreement in the history of the Cabildo de Tenerife.
This management model was developed through an agreement between the insular Corporation and local authorities, with implementation starting in early 2024. It includes managing the Tenerife Environmental Complex and the four waste logistics centres.
For President Rosa Dávila, it is essential to address the challenge of sustainably managing the over half a million tons of waste generated on the island. “We must protect our environment as we have a unique ecosystem that we cannot continue to jeopardise with outdated waste management practices and infrastructure.”
Rosa Dávila hails the new waste management phase in Tenerife as “revolutionary” and states, “Our island will set an example among the island territories of the Outermost Regions, as we tackle waste issues with an inclusive and forward-thinking approach by viewing waste as a resource and an opportunity to diversify our economy.”
She predicts that “significant changes will be implemented over the next three years, benefiting all Tenerife residents and numerous eco-entrepreneurs who can realise their recycling projects, thus creating new job opportunities in an environment-focused sector.” The President is confident about Tenerife’s leading role in waste management, even considering proposing the Island as the headquarters for the EU’s Sustainable Development Agency for the Outermost Regions, responsible for coordinating sustainable development policies and combating climate change.
Contract Innovations
The contract includes several key innovations, notably an enhanced focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy use, leading to a reduction of over 80% in the current carbon footprint.
To achieve this ambitious goal, photovoltaic solar panels for self-consumption will be installed across all facilities of the Tenerife Environmental Complex and the four logistics centres, covering an area of around 15,000 m2 (almost two football fields). Additionally, new landfill gas turbines will be set up, along with the adoption of more eco-friendly fuels, achieving cleaner energy use and greater energy self-sufficiency.
Another pivotal aspect of the contract is the overhaul and expansion of waste infrastructure by UTE Nivaria, resulting in improved service for citizens and businesses, as well as higher recovery rates of recyclable materials present in the waste.
According to the Minister of Natural Environment, Sustainability, Security and Emergencies, Blanca Pérez, “It is unsustainable for an island territory to bear the burden of over 500,000 tons of waste annually. Therefore, we are firmly committed to implementing key measures of Tenerife’s waste management model to ensure environmental and territorial sustainability.” In line with this, Insular Waste Director Alejandro Molowny notes, “The most effective waste is the one that doesn’t exist; hence, a proper and intricate management focusing on awareness, reuse, and recycling is essential, prioritising these over any model advocating for disposal as the easy way out.”
Manager of UTE Nivaria, José García–Tejero views this waste management model as “a new challenge within the demanding European and Spanish framework, which we will tackle by addressing all administrative challenges and providing a wholly sustainable service for the island.”
Pioneering Initiatives
Another key aspect of this model is the introduction of innovative waste management strategies in the Islands. An investment of 30 million Euros will be allocated to research and development projects involving universities as knowledge hubs and the Institute of Renewable Energy (ITER).
Cutting-edge Initiatives
Under the Waste Management Services Concession agreement for Tenerife Island, the Cabildo of Tenerife and the UTE Nivaria – formed by Urbaser and FCC Medio Ambiente – are actively promoting research, development, and innovation (R&D+i) through the implementation of 9 out of the 20 approved projects by the Steering Committee, responsible for determining the actions in innovative initiatives.
The first Governing Council meeting in January was attended by the Cabildo President, Rosa Dávila; the Minister of Natural Environment, Sustainability and Security and Emergencies, Blanca Pérez; the Insular Waste Director, Alejandro Molowny, and representatives from Urbaser and FCC of UTE Nivaria.
The ongoing initiatives represent an investment of 9 million Euros allocated to universities and research centres on the Island, leading to the creation of 15 new positions.
Cabildo of Tenerife President, Rosa Dávila, sees these projects as not only enhancing waste management but also improving the environment, a top priority for the Government team.”
Specifically, in the circular economy sector, two lines of research have resulted in the implementation of three projects. One of them is the Bio-functional Compost Production project, which focuses on cultivating specific microbial strains to enhance the agricultural properties of compost. This project is done in collaboration with the research group on chemical activities of natural defenses at the Canary Islands Institute of Agrarian Research, headed by researcher David Jiménez Arias.
Regarding the second line of research on improving other materials technically, two projects are being conducted. One of them is the Recycling polyurethane foam from the comfort sector (mattresses) for value-added applications project, which examines the feasibility of a recycling facility for used mattresses and the technology development for their compacting. This project is a collaboration with the industrial engineering department of the University of La Laguna, led by researcher Carmelo Militello.
The second project, Application of renewable hydrogen for the production of biomethane (H4BIOMET), aims to investigate the technical, economic, and environmental viability of using green hydrogen to produce biomethane from urban solid waste biogas. This project is carried out in collaboration with the Alfonso Maíllo Innovation Centre, involving researchers Marta Guerrero Álvarez and Alberto Gala Buró; the University of La Laguna, the chemical department led by Elena Pastor; the University of Zaragoza, the chemical engineering and environmental technologies department led by José Ángel Peña, and the supplier Trovant, led by José Manuel Estrada.
Hospitality Waste Management
In the realm of industry 4.0, three projects have been developed focusing on automation and digitalization in urban solid waste (MSW) management and pretreatment enhancements. The Intelligent management system for selective collection of hotel waste project aims to design a system for the selective collection of hotel waste in collaboration with the computer and systems engineering department of the University of La Laguna, led by researchers Marcos Moreno and Belén Melian.
Conversely, the Development and validation of new robotic pretreatment systems project aims to create a comprehensive solution encompassing robotics, artificial intelligence, and sensor technology for material classification in the pretreatment phase. This project is in collaboration with PICVISA, led by Daniel Carrero and Lluís Seguí. Furthermore, for future project developments and innovations, cooperation is planned with the manufacturing engineering and advanced metrology department of the University of Zaragoza.
The third project, Research on greenhouse gas emissions through drones, intends to survey the Arico landfill using sensors mounted on drones in collaboration with the environment division of the Institute of Technology and Renewable Energy of Tenerife, with Nemesio Pérez and Begoña Ortiz contributing.
In addressing the challenge of minimising environmental impacts, three projects have been developed in two different research lines. Firstly, the Study of Innovative Solar panels as landfill coverage project aims to substitute traditional landfill coverage with advanced technologies like photovoltaic solar energy. This project is in collaboration with the technology division of the Tenerife Institute of Technology and Renewable Energies, led by researchers Jesús Álamo, Elena Llanera, and Begoña Ortiz.
In the line of reducing impacts from leachate and odours, the Leachate Concentration and Purification by Zeolites project is analysing leachate treatment methods to produce concentrates usable in producing inert and non-inert construction materials. This project involves collaboration with the European University, including the Architecture and Sustainable Tourism Development department led by Juan Diego López and José Fernando Pérez Serrano.
The third project, Removal of pollutants in leachate through the use of microplastics and/or urban plastic waste, aims to assess the capability of eliminating contaminants in landfill leachate by employing microplastics derived from plastic waste collected in coastal areas and urban plastic waste. This project is in collaboration with the chemistry department of the University of La Laguna, led by Javier Hernández.
