Lleida closed 2025 with at least 465 vandalized containers and with a setback in recycling indicators, in a context of increasing waste and on the verge of the entry into force of the new urban cleaning and waste collection contract, scheduled for April 23.
Ilnet's records show that of those 465 affected containers, 205 were burned, 229 were left irreparable and 31 disappeared. Most of the stolen containers were for organic waste. In parallel, technicians repaired another 482 receptacles during the year, mostly for general waste, the grey ones.
Container fires double in ten years
The evolution of fires shows a sustained deterioration. In 2016, 101 burned containers were counted in the city and in 2025 the figure reached 205, double in a decade. To that is added the maintenance and replacement activity of urban furniture, with 1,404 cleaning services for containers and other elements, generally at night and also in the afternoons in points considered conflictive.
During 2025, 342 graffiti and posters were also pressure-washed on the streets of Lleida. In addition, the concessionaire replaced 55 waste bins and repaired another 21.
More trash and less recycling
Selective collection represented 35.5% of all waste collected in 2025, compared to 37.2% the previous year. The recycling rate fell by 1.6% and left the worst figure since 2018, when it stood at 32.7%.
Lleida generated 68,849,003 kilos of waste in 2025, 3.2% more than in 2024 and the highest figure in at least the last eight years. At the same time, recycled waste dropped from 24,789,508 kilos to 24,443,379, which represents a decrease of 1.4%.
The organic fraction was the one that fell the most, with 311,115 fewer kilos recycled than in 2024. Glass also decreased, with 29,660 fewer kilos. In contrast, paper increased by 67,751 kilos and packaging by 60,140.
The data places Lleida more than ten points from the Catalan average, set at 47.1% in 2024. The 2022 Waste Law set for 2025 a target of 55% selective collection of municipal waste and also required a 13% reduction in generated waste compared to 2010.
The door-to-door loses weight after its withdrawal in two neighborhoods
The withdrawal of the door-to-door system in Balàfia and Pardinyes was executed in November 2024. Currently, it is only maintained in Ciutat Jardí and Vila Montcada. This model represents 4.4% of the total waste generated in the city and 8.4% of the total garbage that is recycled.
"We are going backwards, we are going in the opposite direction of what we should be doing to achieve a sustainable city and more efficient waste management" - Laura Bergés, councilor of the Comú
Uncontrolled dumping and collection of bulky items
In l"Horta, 2,450 uncontrolled waste discharges were recorded, 3.1% less than in 2024. Regarding the collection of bulky items, Ilnet carried out 7,254 arranged and free services, which represent 17% of the 25,696 total services of this type performed during the year.
84% of the bulky waste collected is furniture and the rest corresponds to appliances.
A new contract for ten years
The annual report was presented yesterday in the monitoring committee. Ilnet, a temporary union of companies formed by Romero Polo and Valoriza, provides the street cleaning and garbage collection service in Lleida since 2006 and its contract has been extended on five occasions.
The new contract, awarded again to the same concessionaire, will have a duration of ten years. It foresees incorporating up to 124 new containers, increasing the staff, renewing all vehicles and reinforcing both cleaning and collection frequencies. It also contemplates expanding the door-to-door system in Llívia, Sucs and Raimat.
The entry into force of this new framework coincides with a demanding scenario for the city, with more waste generated, less recycling percentage, and a level of vandalism on containers that maintains pressure on the municipal service.