This text, expected to be approved at the next Plenary Session on April 30, has undergone a period of public information. The new draft of the ordinance adapts to regional and state regulations to ensure compliance with new obligations for local administrations regarding urban waste collection and management.
The updated text entails a toughening of penalties for infractions related to cleaning and waste collection. Actions punishable by fines of up to 3,000 euros include: abandoning scattered litter or any type of waste in public spaces, discarding small waste items without using bins, depositing inappropriate waste in bins, spitting or relieving oneself in public, making graffiti on protected heritage elements, and failing to remove construction debris.
Furthermore, failure to collect pet excrement and clean up pet urine in public spaces may be sanctioned with up to 1,500 euros.
“"Door-to-door collection cannot be voluntary in the commercial sector involved, because it is primarily carried out to avoid increasing the number of containers in public spaces that can cause inconvenience to terrace users or even prevent their placement."
With the aim of promoting source separation of household waste and encouraging recycling and reuse, the City Council will penalize uncivil behaviors such as depositing or abandoning household waste in public spaces or unauthorized containers, abandoning industrial waste like pallets or rubble, and abandoning bulky waste outside established systems, with fines also reaching 3,000 euros.
The new ordinance adapts to the latest changes in the legal regulation of urban waste management, affecting everything from collection to final treatment. At the state level, Law 7/2022, of April 8, on waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy, has been considered, and at the regional level, Law 5/2022, of November 29, on waste and contaminated soils for the promotion of the circular economy in the Valencian Community.
