The Deputy Mayor for Ecology, Urban Planning and Mobility, Janet Sanz, explained: “Cities which have opted for door-to-door waste collection have gone from percentages similar to those in Barcelona, of between 30% and 36% of selective waste collection, to 55% or 60%, not just progressively but immediately”. By following this system, Sarrià residents will also be helping achieve the objective for 2020 of cutting waste generation by 15% compared to 2010.

Besides improving recycling levels and the quality of all types of waste collected, the new system will have a direct impact on the quality of public areas, with cleaner spaces, better air quality and less noise, as the number of rubbish collection days will drop and smaller new waste bins with lids will be introduced.

The initiative responds to calls from the residents association in Sarrià to change the waste collection system in the neighbourhood. The Councillor for Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, Daniel Mòdol, believes that the district “has a pioneering profile, opting to act as a testing ground for some strategic themes for the city”. The aim is to evaluate the implementation of this system for other areas in the city.

What is door-to-door collection?

The new system requires citizens to separate different types of waste: organic waste, recyclable materials (plastic and metal), glass, paper and cardboard, rubbish and sanitary waste. Each type of waste, identified by different coloured bags or bins, will have its own collection days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Unused furniture will be collected on Tuesdays.

From now until the end of the year, information sessions will be held for different local collectives and environmental information staff will complement the work of the Personalised Support Office, opened today in the District Office.