Andorra Parishes Approve €58M Waste Contract with Digital Recycling Overhaul

Encamp commune, representing Andorra's seven parishes, has approved a 10-year waste collection contract worth €57.9 million with Pirinenca de Serveis SA. The agreement, finalized at a council meeting in Pas de la Casa, focuses on boosting efficiency through smart technology and new vehicles.

The deal introduces sensors in containers to alert operators when full, cutting unnecessary truck stops, optimizing routes, and easing traffic disruptions. Most collection trucks will be replaced with low-emission models featuring intelligent systems and onboard weighing to track waste by weight, volume, type, origin, and contaminants. These upgrades support the Circular Economy Law and National Waste Plan while reducing carbon emissions via shorter trips and better fuel efficiency.

Resource pooling across parishes aims to lower costs through scale, with tariffs tied to actual waste volumes to promote less generation and more recycling. Recovery of urban solid waste should rise from 28% now to 44% by the contract's end, targeting 90% of paper and cardboard potential, nearly 100% for glass, 61% for lightweight packaging, and 41% for organic matter. Selective collection rates are set to increase by 15%.

A connected platform will integrate trucks, containers, and collection points for real-time oversight, quicker issue resolution, and improved source separation. Recycling islands and container networks will see upgrades, including 40-50% renewal and better distribution of sites. Organic waste pickup will extend to all producers, with education campaigns and a full revamp of the Pas de la Casa exchange plant for pre-treatment to limit transport needs.

Encamp's senior councillor Laura Mas highlighted digitalization's role in driving cost savings and sustainability, pointing to prior parish collaborations like the landfill expansion as models for success.