Earlier today, the Formentera Council's department of environment issued a review concerning the levels of waste generated locally so far this year. Since January, explained department head Daisee Aguilera, one in every four pieces of rubbish generated on Formentera has been recycled. She thanked the people of Formentera for their efforts separating waste at home.

“This”, she said, “is the good news. The bad news is there exists an all-too-frequent occurrence: illegal dumping. Residents, instead of taking certain rubbish to the municipal tip, simply leave it next to the street-side bins”. To tackle the problem, the department of the environment has created stickers to be placed on the abandoned rubbish, which, says Aguilera, “signal the need to initiate an investigation aimed at identifying the offending individual”.

Sixty offences
In fact, so far in 2015 sixty offenders have been caught and sanctioned – the same number as in 2014. As established in the local code of conduct, fines start at fifty euros and can go as high as three thousand. For that very reason, Councillor Aguilera took the opportunity of the press conference to “make a special appeal to the people of Formentera to take any special waste to the newly-opened rubbish tip”.

More recycling, more savings
Aguilera also spoke about the costs associated with waste management, emphasising that pretreatment and transfer costs are only applied to non-recyclable rubbish (whereas recycled waste is exempt from those charges). She concluded: “Recycling means a very real reduction of costs for taxpayers”. The councillor also underscored the importance of domestic recycling because “it permits a reuse of old material”.

Raising awareness among youth of the island
Staff specialist of the office, Diego Ojeda, spoke about the figures reflecting waste collection at the local level. He pointed out the island experiences a boom in waste generation in the summertime and that Formenterers generated 2.5% more trash this October than the same month last year. He noted recycling figures had remained more or less unchanged: up 0.90 points to 24.9% from 24%. To get the number even higher, Councillor Aguilera spoke of the need to raise awareness among the island's youth and said Formentera needs “informational campaigns and beach-cleaning outings for schoolchildren”.

Furniture and large waste collection
Ojeda indicated that this year “we have carried out 260 free home pick-ups (scheduled by phoning 900 102 656) of furniture and other large-items”.

He also referred to the opening this May of the island's rubbish tip and said the site —designed for the drop-off of items not fit for disposal in normal bins— has received 4,065 visits this year. He cited more than 600 tonnes of household waste and approximately 5 tonnes of hazardous waste materials have been collected as well. Encouraging a mindful use of the facility, Ojeda reminded Formentera's residents of the site's opening hours: Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and Monday through Friday 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The Council’s department of environment has organised a day of work this Saturday, 14th November, to remove piles of rocks around the Es Trucadors zone of the island. The goal, explained department head Daisee Aguilera, is to «raise local awareness about the importance of leaving delicate natural areas like this one untouched» and «attempt to return the area to its original state».

Councillor Aguilera invited all island residents to come out for the day, which will begin with an informational segment at 9:30 a.m. near the Es Ministre restaurant in Ses Illetes. From there, participants will head toward Es Trucadors, where the day’s work will entail «removing the piles of stones and trying to return them to their natural place».

Due to perennial battering by waves and wind, Es Trucadors is an area especially susceptible to erosion. Aguilera noted the uniqueness of the zone's coastline and pointed to its uncommon rock formations and the ease with which they can deteriorate.

The councillor commented that both the marked increase in foot traffic through the area and passers'-by inclination to stack small rocks into sculpture-like forms «are speeding up what are otherwise natural processes of erosion, thus accelerating the disappearance of that part of the island». At the end of the day participants will be treated to a snack, concluded Aguilera.

The Formentera Council’s office of environment wishes to congratulate Miguel Ángel Villagrasa and Ulises Petinto for their leadership producing Ibiza y Formentera 100% renovables (Ibiza and Formentera 100% renewable). The documentary is set to be premiered this evening at half past eight in the cultural centre of the Eivissa town of Jesús.

Formentera’s environmental councillor Daisee Aguilera announced the administration’s plan to contribute 800 euros to the project, and said she hoped to see the film projected soon in Formentera’s own cinema.