Recycling Will Be the Only Way to Alleviate the Sharp Increase in Waste Collection Fees for Alicante Residents in 2025

The Alicante City Council is set to approve a new fiscal ordinance that will increase the waste collection fee up to four times starting in 2025. The increase will depend on both the size of the residence and the cadastral value of the property. For example, the minimum fee for a 102-square-meter home, currently 22.72 euros, will rise to 83.62 euros once the new fee is approved.

This change is due to the European Union's requirement to adjust the fee to reflect the real cost of waste treatment, from collection to separation, preparation, and subsequent disposal. Until now, this deficit was covered by municipal budgets, but starting in 2025, all taxpayers in Alicante will bear this cost.

In addition to preventing a budget shortfall, community institutions aim to promote recycling by offering financial incentives for separating waste into five containers: paper, glass, plastic, general waste, and organic waste—the brown containers.

This reduction in fees can reach up to 20% if residents use their card at least four times per month for 10 out of 12 months. The reduction decreases to 15% for eight months of compliance, 10% for five months, and 5% for three months.

The brown containers being installed across Alicante are smart containers with programmable electronic locks that identify users, open the lid, and record waste contributions via electronic cards and an app.

What goes in: food scraps and small garden waste; fruit and vegetable peels; dirty kitchen paper and tissues; cork stoppers and sawdust; coffee grounds and tea leaves; small household garden trimmings; fish bones and seafood shells; meat bones; eggshells and nut shells.

What doesn't go in: sweeping debris, ash and cigarette butts; non-biodegradable plastic bags; diapers and sanitary pads; recyclables like paper, cardboard, cans, plastic bottles, briks; items destined for eco-points and eco-parks like electronic devices, batteries or CDs.

To benefit from these savings, residents only need to obtain a card that allows them to open the containers. Those who already have a card will receive it directly at home, while new users must request it through www.tuhacesalicante.es or use an upcoming app that will also open the devices.

Residents can request the card at designated neighborhood points parallel to the container installation. To encourage usage, domestic 10-liter containers for organic waste collection will be provided upon registration. Additionally, informational leaflets will be distributed at these points. The opening cards for these devices will be sent to homes along with leaflets and an informational letter.