Por Pablo Arranz 
Benidorm continues to increase year after year the rates and percentages of waste segregation at the source as shown by the data managed by the Department of the Environment. The data, referring to the year 2024, indicate that during that time, the kilograms of selective waste collection, which is carried out by citizens through recycling at home, increased once again. Specifically, last year saw an improvement in the data regarding the collection of paper, cardboard, and packaging, with a slight decrease in glass, although the index in this case remains well above the national average.
Regarding the data obtained on the collection of paper and cardboard, it indicates that last year 1,649,460 kilograms were collected, representing an increase of 9.83% compared to 2023. Interestingly, the month with the best data was August, with 198,520 kilograms collected. Conversely, January was the month with the lowest amount collected, with 101,520 kilograms.
There was also an increase in the collection of packaging. In 2024, the figure reached 872,840 kilograms, which is 4.89% more than in 2023. Once again, August was the month with the best data, totaling 100,960 kilograms. On the other hand, December had the lowest amount collected, with 58,740 kilograms.
As for the collection of glass, this aspect experienced a slight decrease. Last year, 3,388,040 kilograms were collected, compared to 3,835,620 kilograms the previous year. Despite the slight decrease, Benidorm remains at levels well above the national average. According to data from Ecovidrio, the national average for glass recycling is 19.2 kilograms per inhabitant per year, while in Benidorm it exceeds 50 kilograms per inhabitant per year. In 2024, June had the highest data for collection, with 410,790 kilograms, compared to 248,460 kilograms in January, which had the lowest amount collected.
Mónica Gómez, Councilor for the Environment, has stated based on the data that «it is evident that citizens and the productive sector are increasingly practicing waste segregation at the source.» That is, more and more households and establishments are separating organic waste from packaging, glass, and paper and cardboard,» and she downplayed the decrease in glass collection «because we are still well above the Spanish average and because we are already operating at very high figures and percentages.»
The councilor emphasized that «gradually the population is becoming aware of the importance of separating waste,» and expressed her belief that «these percentage increases will continue to grow.»