Santa Cruz boasts a total of 5,844 litter bins located throughout the streets, squares, and parks of the municipality, of which only 80 are currently designated for selective collection. Consequently, the Capital City Council has initiated a tender for a new contract that encompasses the cleaning, upkeep, replacement, provision, and installation of small urban containers. This initiative aims to replace existing units with more sustainable models, prioritising the introduction of waste containers specifically for selective collection in parks or squares, alongside compartmentalisation or the creation of litter bin islands.
Carlos Tarife, the Councillor for Public Services, informed DIARIO DE AVISOS that “with the new contract, which was approved by the Government Board on December 30, the annual investment in litter bins within the city will rise from €8,000 to €24,000. Furthermore, the successful bidder, Contenur, has significantly reduced prices by 70%, proposing an annual cost of €1,500 for supply improvements that will enable the majority of products to be replaced at no additional cost during the execution period, transforming old litter bins into new, more environmentally sustainable models.”
Tarife highlighted that “the awarding of the new contract will entail an investment of €1,957,737 over its three-year duration, equating to €587,457 annually. This will not only involve the replacement of litter bins, but will also create employment for 12 individuals within the service, along with acquiring resources such as ecological washing equipment, pressure washers, and new electric vehicles, which will be obtained through leasing.”
The new eco-friendly bins, equipped with ashtrays, electronic chips, and biocompartments, will be gradually introduced across the municipality, although some of the older bins have already been systematically replaced with new models. Notable installations include 21 bins situated in the García Sanabria, Acorán, and La Estrella parks, as well as in the squares of Los Sabandeños; Poet Luis Feria, Duggi, and Bartolomé García; and along the pedestrian Huaracheros, or Tamarán and Tamaragua streets.
Additionally, replacements have been carried out in the Plazas de España and La Candelaria; along Litoral and Maritima avenues; on Castillo Street, Alameda del Duque, La Gesta Park, or Avenida Marítima de San Andrés, among others. “The objective of the new litter bins is to bolster the waste collection areas,” concluded the mayor.
