In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the population exceeds 211,400, as per the figures from March 2024, published by the Department of Statistics and Territorial Demarcation of the Capital City Council. The inhabitants, spread across the five districts, not only indicate a growth in the capital’s population over the past year but also result in an increase in waste generation, both organic and recycled. For instance, in January alone, the municipality recorded 7,111,452 kilos of waste, in comparison to 6,209,762 kg in February, which were placed in the 9,396 containers and the two clean points available in the city.
This information is provided by the statistics of the Public Services Area, as managed by the Cleaning Company Valoriza, for Santa Cruz (2025).
As part of the municipal plan aimed at creating a more sustainable waste management system—an initiative focused on reducing the waste directed to landfills while encouraging proper segregation, reusing, and recycling—the city currently operates over 9,300 containers sorted by categories: 1,184 for light packaging, 1,239 for paper and cardboard, 4,813 for general waste, 923 for organic rubbish, 1,041 for glass, 170 for textiles and clothing, and 26 designated for the collection of vegetable oil.
The distribution of these containers is proportional to the resident population in each district, with an additional supply of over 400 brown containers, primarily situated in the health-La Salle and Central-Fara districts. Carlos Tarife, the Councilor for Public Services, stated, “This year, we will be introducing this fifth container in the districts of Ofra, Southwest, and Anaga, which can be accessed using a mobile application to identify users. Despite the increase in waste charges imposed by the State, this City Council will be more vigilant regarding those who continue to dispose of organic waste in the grey container, which incurs the highest costs for waste management in Santa Cruz.”
Regarding waste collection data from the Santa Cruz cleaning service, last February saw the collection of 212,050 kilograms of light containers, 367,148 kg of paper and cardboard, 213,710 kg of equipment, 135,140 kg of organic remains, 5,135,710 kg of residual waste, 1,104 litres of oil, 136,350 kg of biodegradable waste, 6,240 kg of debris, and 9,660 kg of electrical and electronic devices (RAEE).
The municipal cleaning service is tasked with the transportation and selective collection of waste, enabling the separation and correct disposal of household rubbish into various containers for recycling or treatment purposes.
To aid in this process, a fleet of 30 collection vehicles is employed. Once the rubbish is gathered, these vehicles transport it to the El Rosario Transfer Plant (Rest Fraction), to the Environmental Complex of Arico (Light Packaging), and to the authorised manager’s centre Martínez Cano (for paper and cardboard processing).
Services
An additional piece of equipment operates alongside the primary service, tasked with inspecting areas with lateral load containers to ensure that all waste is deposited within these containers. Another team focuses on checking the underground containers.
Furthermore, the City Council provides residents with a complimentary waste collection service available five days a week, covering five districts, aimed at preventing the improper disposal of furniture, appliances, and other items on public streets. This includes a door-to-door cardboard collection for commercial properties, waste pickup from schools, the collection of deceased domestic animals, and a mobile clean point that travels through the neighbourhoods to facilitate the disposal of items that cannot be placed in the containers.
