In the current context of climate crisis, where the effects of droughts, torrential rains, and heatwaves are increasingly evident, administrations are seeking to reduce polluting emissions. While renewable energy and cleaner mobility are promoted, the waste segment, which generates 8% of the islands' CO2, receives less attention. Experts suggest that incineration plants, in addition to complying with the circular economy law, could reduce these emissions and generate renewable energy.
The dean of the College of Industrial Engineers of Eastern Canary Islands emphasizes that the best waste management starts with not generating it. Subsequently, the priority is reuse and recycling. Valorization, including energy recovery, is the next option, and only when these are exhausted is controlled landfill used. In his view, valorization is a crucial intermediate step that should not be skipped.
This engineer believes that the Canary Islands, with its aspiration to be sustainable, must transition towards incinerating its waste. He points out that the archipelago's geographical characteristics, fragmented and with high demographic and tourist pressure, drive this necessity. He questions how long it will take for political representatives to fully implement the state waste law by installing incinerators.
Data indicates that the Canary Islands produce approximately 25,000 kilograms of waste per million euros of GDP. Annually, 1.2 million tons are generated, encompassing urban solid waste, light packaging, paper-cardboard, glass, bulky waste, and organic waste. On average, each inhabitant generates 350 kilos of waste in the black bin, 25 kilos in the yellow bin (packaging), 20 kilos in the blue bin (paper and cardboard), 10 kilos in the green bin (glass), and additionally disposes of 10 kilos of bulky items at clean points.
Waste collection and transport are the responsibility of local councils and island councils, which manage clean points and transfer plants, as well as authorized private companies for large producers. The need for local councils to significantly increase the number of containers, especially for light packaging and paper-cardboard, is highlighted to prevent these from ending up in the black bin. It is estimated that the current provision should be doubled in most Canary Islands municipalities.
