The transfer of waste from Ibiza to Mallorca will begin next July 16

PalmaThe transfer of waste from Ibiza to Mallorca begins next July 16. As reported by the second vice-president and Minister of Environment of the Consell de Mallorca, Pedro Bestard, the first shipment will consist of seven trucks with 24 tons of waste each. In this way, a total of approximately 3,000 tons will be transferred each month.

For days the ship had been in port waiting for the Consell de Mallorca to agree to receive these tons of waste and finally sign the agreementsign the agreement definitively. The operation has generated criticism among the residents of Son Sardina and La Garriga, who have complained about the way the transfer will be carried out, while the GOB has announced that it will take it to court. In return for the residents, President Llorenç Galmés has promised a 10% reduction in the waste tariff.

In a statement, the institution has reported the signing of the agreement, which gives the go-ahead to the pilot test to take waste from the Ca na Putxa landfill in Ibiza, which is about to exhaust its useful life, to the Son Reus plant in Mallorca. This pilot test can last up to two years, and involves the transport of up to seven trucks, five days a week, which will travel to Son Reus during nighttime hours. On average, this incinerator plant receives approximately 780 trucks per day in Son Reus. "A solution is provided to an environmental problem of regional scope that the island of Ibiza suffers from [...], and the Balearic Islands are allowed to move towards the zero landfill objective set by the European Union directives," they point out in the press release.

The Consell has proposed to reduce the urban solid waste tariff for residents by 10% thanks to a subsidy of 50 million euros distributed over 10 years that the Government has agreed to allocate to the Consell as compensation for agreeing to receive this waste. In the statement, the institution emphasizes that the waste treatment energy recovery plant in Mallorca has sufficient capacity to receive waste from the residual fraction originating from Ibiza.

Responsibility of Ibiza

The agreement between the parties establishes that the maritime and land transport of waste will be the responsibility of the Consell d’Eivissa, in addition to the expenses derived from the transport. The shipment of waste will be made through the concessionaire company of the public service for the management of urban waste of Eivissa, UTE GIREF, and must be communicated to the concessionaire company of Mallorca, Tirme SA, 10 days in advance. "The amount of waste sent will depend on the logistical capacity and budgetary availability of the Consell d’Eivissa", the statement indicates. 

Although the two institutions have assured that the transport will be done by packaging all the waste in shrink-wrapped bales, the agreement admits the possibility that part of this waste will be sent in bulk, lowering the requirements of the first environmental report that was made in this regard, as reported by ARA Balears and denounced by GOB. In parallel, the Council has explained that the transport will be carried out "using perfectly enclosed platforms or vehicles with a completely enclosed box".

Bestard will travel to Ibiza

The second vice-president and Minister of Environment, Pedro Bestard, will travel to Ibiza on July 15 to supervise its first shipment, which will arrive in Mallorca in the early hours of Thursday, July 16. A commission will also be established to monitor the execution of the pilot test, made up of representatives from both island councils and the Government. Otherwise, Ibiza will pay a fee to Son Reus in exchange for treatment services.

During Tuesday's press conference, Bestard assured that if during the supervision of the transfer it is determined that the waste does not comply with what is provided for in the agreement, the shipment will be stopped.

Bestard also responded to the criticism from the PSIB spokesperson at the Consell de Mallorca, Catalina Cladera, after she differentiated between the "waste" generated in Mallorca and the "shit" that would arrive from Ibiza. The minister defended that the Islands must act with solidarity between territories and stressed that the waste will be transported compacted in hermetically sealed bales, without odors. Likewise, he assured that the operation will only mean the entry of seven more trucks per day to Son Reus, an increase of approximately 1% of the plant's usual traffic. He also maintained that the pilot test would allow a 10% reduction in the waste rate in Mallorca thanks to the contribution of 50 million euros announced by the Government. According to him, the project will be evaluated and, if it does not work properly, it can be stopped.