Salou, in Tarragona province, is seeing cleaner streets as its commercial door-to-door recycling system is rolled out for businesses. The scheme targets hotels, restaurants, cafés, bars and shops, and is designed to improve waste management in one of Catalonia’s busiest tourist towns.
The initiative focuses on HORECA establishments, which the Waste Agency of Catalonia says account for more than 36% of municipal waste. By removing commercial waste from public containers and collecting it directly from premises on set days and times, the council aims to reduce overflowing bins and bags left on the street.
The first phase began in the Carles Buïgas area, including streets such as Saragossa, Colón, Barbastre and Bilbao, as well as Venus Square and businesses in the Valencia area. The council says the early results have been positive, with better street cleanliness and good participation from local businesses.
The system separates waste by fraction and uses scheduled collections rather than conventional containers. According to the council, this should improve sorting, raise recycling rates and reduce the visual impact of collection points in busy public areas.
Salou says the change is also about maintaining the quality of public space and the town’s image during periods when the population rises sharply with visitor numbers. Waste management is a key issue for coexistence, sustainability and urban quality in a destination that receives millions of visitors each year.
The council sees the scheme as part of wider modernisation of municipal services. It also points to European rules that require municipalities to reach a 65% selective waste collection rate in the coming years. The council says that will need new management models, shared responsibility and systems adapted to tourist towns.
For more Catalonia-wide local news, see our news page. Official information on waste policy is available from the Waste Agency of Catalonia and the European Commission.