Palencia City Council awarded the new contract for waste collection and street cleansing in the city for the next 10 years to a joint venture formed by FCC Medio Ambiente and Acciona Servicios Urbanos. The contract represents an order book value of nearly €74 million and will employ close to 120 people.

Regarding the new services, the addition of 100%-electric vehicles and machinery and dual ECO-labelled collection lorries stands out, as well as the introduction of the brown container and the residual fraction, highlighting the commitment of the Palencia City Council and the joint venture to sustainability and care for the environment. Moreover, a central warehouse, three machinery depots and a Citizen Service Office have been acquired and will be fitted out.

For the street cleansing service, newly acquired equipment has been added to the fleet, such as sweeping vehicles, 100%-electric light cleansing vehicles equipped with a pressure washer and blower, and manual sweeping trolleys with electric assistance. The units also incorporate water-saving systems and ergonomic and health improvements so that staff can carry out their work as comfortably and safely as possible.

For the collection of the 27,000 tonnes of organic, paper and cardboard, light packaging and residual waste per year, newly acquired side and rear-loading compactor-collection lorries with capacities of 25 m3 and 16 m3 respectively will be incorporated. This equipment will boast ECO-labelled dual LPG and diesel engines, ecological tires and special insulation in order to minimise noise emissions. They will also be supported by 100% electric ancillary vehicles. The joint venture will progressively renew the entire fleet of containers and will install 20 volumetric sensors in those for the organic fraction, thanks to which an exhaustive study of the filling percentages will be carried out and the location of these sensors will be alternated as necessary. The new contract also aims to increase selective collection and reduce the residual fraction by promoting separation at source through awareness and information campaigns for the citizenship.

Under the slogan ‘Palencia Sparkles’ (Palencia Deslumbra), a communication plan has been developed to promote the implementation of the new service and raise public awareness about its environmental impact. This plan will not only highlight the benefits of the new service, but also the advantages for the city and those who live in or enjoy it. It is also worth highlighting that the companies in the joint venture have signed collaboration agreements with local organisations and foundations for the recruitment of people from groups at risk of social exclusion.  

One of the first challenges of the service, which began last April, was the shock plan implemented in the Cristo neighbourhood so that this area would look its best during the San Toribio pilgrimage. This first action, together with the exhaustive sweeping of all streets, aims to ensure that the optimum state of cleanliness on such important dates is maintained over time.