Benissa increases fly tipping patrols

BENISSA town hall has stepped up efforts to detect and apply fines to people who are continuing to turn a deaf ear to their requests to take garden waste to the Ecopark or specialist containers. Alongside information campaigns and awareness-raising, they have also placed large posters near bin areas warning of the consequences of illegal dumping, warning that it could cost abusers up to €3,000.

Benissa Impuls, the town’s cleaning contractors, seem to be fighting a losing battle against the waste, which is taking so long to collect that is it building up in many areas. Due to the fact that the normal rubbish trucks cannot fit all of the extra waste in, the company then has to draft in larger lorries and find extra staffing hours to complete the tasks.

In a statement, the town hall said “From Benissa council, it is considered a fact that we must intensify the activity for control and detection of these cases which damage the image of the town, its environment and the effectiveness of the waste collection service, carried out by the company municipal Benissa Impuls.”

The man photographed was caught in a coastal area of Benissa, where local police patrols have added the bin containers to their rounds in order to catch offenders. In addition to local police, the Guardia rural, council staff and other workers may now report people they see emptying incorrect waste into or beside containers.

The initiative demonstrates the willingness of the council to act forcefully against one of the most reported problems for residents. The council spends up to 15% of its budget on street cleaning and waste management.

Alongside the Eco park, there are three other garden waste disposal points, these are on the urbanisations of Altamira, Montemar and San Jaime.