The Ministry of Ecological Transition has held the final in-person meeting in La Palma as part of a series of meetings with local entities to present European aid aimed at the separate collection of the organic fraction of municipal waste.
The Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands has concluded in La Palma a round of nine in-person meetings to explain to local entities the aid from the FEDER Funds that will finance the separate collection of the organic fraction of municipal waste. The last session took place this Thursday in the Noble Hall of the Salazar Palace, in Santa Cruz de La Palma, and was attended by the island council, the island's Services Consortium, and the local councils of La Palma.
The Minister of Ecological Transition, Mariano Hernández Zapata, and the Director General of Environmental Quality, Ángel Montañés, led the meeting, accompanied by the Minister of Finance, Human Resources, Waste, Industry, and Energy of the La Palma Council, Fernando González. The aim was to clarify doubts and encourage municipalities to apply for the grants, which seek to implement a system for the separate collection of biowaste, that is, food scraps and pruning waste.
A cycle that has covered the entire Archipelago
These in-person meetings have been held across the seven islands and have achieved participation from representatives of around 70% of the Canary Islands municipalities. Additionally, the Ministry has planned a final online session for those councils that could not attend the physical meetings, ensuring that no council is left without information about the aid.
Zapata highlighted that “the circular economy is built from collaboration between administrations. We want no council to miss this funding opportunity, which is why we have visited all the islands, bringing the call closer, resolving doubts, and offering technical support from the very beginning.”
The minister reminded that “the proper management of biowaste not only allows compliance with regulatory obligations but also represents progress towards a more sustainable model, reducing the volume of waste sent to landfills and better utilising resources that have until now been wasted.”
Technical and financial support for municipalities
The Director General of Environmental Quality, Ángel Montañés, emphasised that these meetings have allowed for “direct contact with councils, associations, and municipalities to understand their needs firsthand and adapt future lines of support to the reality of each territory.”
Montañés added that “from the General Directorate, we want to support local entities throughout the process so that they can make the most of this funding opportunity and continue implementing the separate collection of organic matter, an essential piece for consolidating the circular economy in the Canary Islands.”
For the residents of La Palma, this initiative represents another step towards the implementation of the fifth container, the brown one, which will allow for the separation of organic waste at source. Although there are no specific timelines yet, the FEDER aid will enable municipalities to acquire the necessary containers, launch awareness campaigns, and adapt collection systems. The next call for aid will be published in the coming months, and interested municipalities will need to submit their projects to apply for European funding.
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