El Puerto de Santa María Town Council has awarded the new contract for separate waste collection and the management and modernisation of the packaging plant to FCC Medio Ambiente, which has been operating in the municipality since 1980 and, in 2025, renewed its contracts for waste collection, street cleaning and recycling centre management. With a portfolio worth around €63 million over the next 14 years and an investment of €8 million, this contract award strengthens the company’s ties with the city and supports the municipality in the comprehensive modernisation of its services and facilities.

Among the main improvements in the new contract, which will employ 40 people, the inclusion of newly acquired sustainable vehicles and machinery stands out. These are powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) and are electric, bearing the ECO and ZERO EMISSIONS environmental labels, accounting for 85% of the selective collection fleet – a demonstration of the City Council’s and FCC Medio Ambiente’s commitment to caring for the environment. Technological innovation is also a key pillar of the contract, with the centralisation of the comprehensive management of services on the VISION digital platform, developed exclusively by FCC Medio Ambiente, which enables real-time interaction regarding incidents, residents’ requests and the municipal team.

The collection service will feature state-of-the-art CNG-powered side- and rear-loading compactor lorries, as well as electric vans and inspection vehicles. A key feature is the increased frequency of collections and the complete reorganisation of routes, based on an analysis of actual waste generation patterns in the city. The service will introduce two-way collection for glass and incorporate special tipping bins for large waste producers. In addition, the fleet of bins will be completely renewed and a dedicated facility will be provided for their washing and comprehensive maintenance, which will have a direct impact on the quality of the urban environment.

The packaging plant, which will serve all the municipalities of the Bay and the Sierra de Cádiz, is one of the strategic elements of the contract. Built in 2006 and automated in 2016, the contract provides for an investment of around 7 million euros for the new refurbishment process, which will give it greater capacity, efficiency and technological modernisation. The facility will double its annual treatment capacity, which will enable an exponential increase in the recovery rate.

To reinforce the service’s social commitment, the contract will employ staff from a Special Employment Centre for tasks such as access control and the internal cleaning of facilities.

Asimismo, con el objetivo de hacer partícipe a la población del cuidado de su ciudad, se realizarán campañas específicas de sensibilización, acciones educativas en colegios, visitas guiadas a la planta y jornadas de puertas abiertas orientadas a reducir impropios y mejorar la separación en origen.

Furthermore, with the aim of encouraging the public to take an active role in looking after their city, specific awareness-raising campaigns, educational activities in schools, guided tours of the plant and open days will be organised, with a view to reducing the amount of unsorted waste and improving waste separation at source.