The Councils of Ibiza and Mallorca have signed the agreement that will allow the transfer of residual waste from the Pitiüses to the Son Reus plant in Palma. The pilot test, which can be extended for another year, will start without a specific date.
The Councils of Ibiza and Mallorca signed this Tuesday the agreement that will allow the transfer of waste from the residual fraction generated in the Pitiüses to the Son Reus incinerator plant in Palma. The agreement, which ends months of negotiations, includes a pilot test lasting one year, extendable for another year, although the start date for the transport has not yet been specified.
The measure aims to solve the serious problem facing Ibiza due to the imminent exhaustion of the capacity of the environmental area of Ca na Putxa, in Santa Eulària. According to estimates, this landfill has a useful life of between three and four years, making the transfer to Mallorca a key temporary solution.
A solution for zero waste
The Council of Ibiza has highlighted in a statement that the agreement allows the Balearic Islands to move towards the zero waste goal set by European Union directives. The energy recovery plant at Son Reus has sufficient capacity to treat the residual waste coming from the neighbouring island, as emphasised by the Ibiza institution.
The agreement is framed within the Balearic Waste Law and the Mallorca Sectoral Waste Master Plan, both approved in 2019. However, the initial announcement of the transport generated widespread rejection among the political forces in Mallorca, which now seems to have been overcome with the signing of the agreement.
Logistics and conditions of the transfer
The shipment of the waste will be the responsibility of the Council of Ibiza, which will bear the costs of maritime and land transport. The company awarded the public service for urban waste management in Ibiza, UTE Giref, will handle the operations, which must be communicated to the Mallorca concessionaire, Tirme SA, ten days in advance.
The pilot test will start with a maximum transport of seven tauliner-type trucks daily. The waste must be packaged in compacted bales with straps and shrink-wrapped at the Ibiza facilities, and the transport will be carried out in fully enclosed box vehicles to avoid any leakage or environmental impact.
Regarding the economic conditions, the agreement stipulates that the Mallorca concessionaire will receive the current rate as compensation for the treatment, plus the corresponding taxes. In addition, a monitoring committee will be established, consisting of representatives from both Councils and the Balearic Government, to oversee the proper execution of the plan.
For the residents of Mallorca, the arrival of waste from Ibiza will not mean an immediate change in their daily lives, as the Son Reus plant is already operating normally. However, the agreement strengthens the waste management infrastructure of the island and could extend the useful life of local landfills. The citizens of Palma, where the incinerator is located, will continue to see garbage trucks circulating through their streets, now with a few more coming from the port.
The next step will be the establishment of the monitoring committee and the specification of the start date for the transport, which is expected in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the waste from Ibiza will continue to accumulate at Ca na Putxa, with the clock ticking.
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