Cerdanya Residents Protest Urbaser Waste Collection Failures
Persistent rubbish pickup delays, overflowing bins, and rising costs spark outrage in southern and northern Cerdanya, with users demanding urgent.
Key Points
- Repeated failures to collect rubbish in Bellpui and La Guàrdia, including months-long uralita waste piles.
- 99.5% dissatisfaction in 200-user survey; overflowing bins persist until media complaints.
- Northern users hit by high bills up to €316 and denied zero-waste discounts during hospital stays.
- Protests planned; demands for meetings with leaders and consortium merger.
Residents across the Cerdanya region are protesting persistent issues with waste collection services managed by Urbaser, amid rising costs and unmet contract terms.
In southern municipalities served by the Migraum consortium, such as Bellpui in the Valls d'Aguilar and La Guàrdia d'Ares, neighbours report repeated failures to collect rubbish. Piles of hazardous uralita waste in Bellpui went uncollected for months, with incidents occurring twice between August and December last year. Overflowing containers in La Guàrdia d'Ares remained full for days beyond scheduled pickups—twice weekly in places like Bellpui—prompting multiple complaints to the mayor. When crews finally arrived, they removed only protruding bags, leaving bins still packed, according to local accounts. Residents say problems recur until public complaints in the media force temporary fixes, leaving them to repeatedly alert the service.
A survey by southern users filled its 200-response capacity within hours, with 199 expressing dissatisfaction and just one neutral.
Northern users, under the Mancomunitat de l'Urgellet, face similar frustrations, including disputed discounts for good behaviour. Some lose eligibility for generating zero waste during hospital stays, sparking ongoing disputes with the company. Bills have climbed to 316 euros without access to entitled reductions, while access fees to the Benavarre landfill—run by the Urgellet group—remain high. Calls grow for merging the two consortia, seen as an obvious step.
Migraum president Joan Puig Bellido acknowledged to *BonDia* that the Urbaser contract "was not fine-tuned," meaning it was poorly drafted. The company insists it meets obligations, though extra bins have been added in some spots and additional services incur separate charges. Bellido said resolving issues is challenging until the concession renews, urging users to be patient while pressing Urbaser for improvements.
Users from both areas demand a meeting with Migraum's Bellido, Urgellet's Ricard Mateu, and Cerdanya County Council head Josefina Lladós. Southern towns have posted protest signs, and a demonstration is planned for Passeig Joan Brudieu, likely the last weekend of this month.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: