Ibiza has less than four years to come up with a solution to its rubbish issue, as the Balearic island is running out of landfill space, it has been claimed. Locals have devised a solution, which could involve their neighbour, Majorca.
In Ibiza, the Ca Na Putxa area has a plant for sorting and treatment of rubbish and another that functions as a landfill. The latter is expected to run out of space by 2029, local publication El Confidential reports. The Council of Ibiza is engaged in a participatory process with different local entities to decide the best solution among four options being considered. Meanwhile, residents report contamination in groundwater, the presence of toxic gases in the air and the appearance of scavenging animals, including rats, in areas very close to housing estates and neighbourhoods.
The problems at Ca Na Putxa are longstanding. Located just under two miles from the nearest coves, the surroundings of this landfill are filled with vegetation.
Thirty years ago, Ibiza’s residents first took a stand to denounce decades of illegal dumping into a private stream that ended in the sea. Several associations voiced their anger and filed various complaints with European and Spanish institutions responsible for waste management.
In 2003, the EU Court of Justice condemned Spain for keeping open the Ca Na Putxa landfill, located in the East of the island, where regulations for proper management were not being followed.
However, this warning was not enough. Flor Dell’Agnollo, an environmental scientist and spokesperson for the platform, Solutions! For Ibiza’s Landfill, explained that the project initiated by the Council alongside the Balearic Government was developed with “secrecy” and that “the landfill has since caused severe environmental and public health damage” because the new plant was built over rubbish that had been illegally accumulated there for more than two decades.
Years passed with demands and complaints from residents of Roca Llisa, Cas Cómodo, Can Furnet, and Pueblo Jesús. Once the sorting and composting plant was inaugurated in 2019, the next battleground became the landfill.
However, residents are urgently demanding solutions. The platform reports that groundwater remains contaminated because the old illegal landfill was not cleaned up, there are animals in the vicinity – very close to populated areas – such as snakes, rats and seagulls. Additionally, the landfill produces polluting gases about which there is no information, which residents urgently want clarified.
“What are we breathing?” questioned Dell’Agnollo. “The smells are so strong they force us to live with our windows closed”. A smell described as “rotten egg”.
Given the situation, residents maintain contact with the Council and admit that the administration “is responding, albeit late and slowly”. On top of this, the Council has reportedly initiated a non-binding public participation process – in which affected entities can participate – to decide what to do in 2029. Options include expanding the current landfill, opening a new one, creating an incinerator or transferring waste to Son Reus plant in Majorca. This last option is preferred by residents.
“Formentera transfers 100% of its waste to Ibiza; why can’t we take it from Ibiza to Mallorca? A new plant in Ibiza would have a very severe environmental impact,” said Dell’Agnollo, adding that Son Reus plant “is oversized because it was designed for all islands” and that is why waste from Italy or Ireland was transferred there years ago.
Meanwhile, environmental scientist and consultant Alberto Vizcaíno emphasises that transferring rubbish to Majorca could be positive short-term but “would increase energy consumption” and “wouldn’t solve the problem; it would just move it elsewhere”.
He also explained that increasing Ca Na Putxa’s capacity could be dangerous and would require significant investment. He also specified that building a new incinerator would reduce waste volume but increase toxic substances derived from burning.
“The best solution will always be prevention and reduction of waste,” clarified Vizcaíno. After conducting public consultation, the Council plans to have a roadmap by June. The institution keeps all four options open and admits they will consider economic terms but also environmental ones.
At the core of this problem is lack of information. “The Council has done things behind closed doors. There isn’t enough data to make an informed decision during participation process, there is no clarity,” claimed Flor Dell’Agnollo.
