Canovelles municipalizes waste collection with the Consorci del Vallès Oriental

The Plenary of the Canovelles City Council, in an extraordinary session on November 4, 2026, initially approved the report justifying the change from indirect to direct management of the public waste collection and transport service. The file, 4479/2026, is published this November 6 in the Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona with the reference CVE 202610166807 and is subject to public consultation for 30 days. The measure affects an essential service for the 17,473 inhabitants of the municipality and replaces the current contract with URBASER, SA.

The change is framed within article 85.2.A of Law 7/1985, of April 2, regulating the bases of the local regime, and within the municipal power of self-organization. The preferred execution modality is the management assignment to the Consortium for Waste Management of the Vallès Oriental, an entity established in 1998 of which the City Council is a member. The file began with Mayoral Decree 2026-1234, of July 15, 2026, which ordered the promotion of the change in management form; the study commission appointed on that same day signed the report on October 21, 2026, and the mayor, Emiliano Cordero Sòria, signed it on November 5.

A service split between two operators

Currently, collection is fragmented between two companies, a fact that the report considers one of the causes of the system’s poor functioning:

• URBASER, SA provides the collection of the residual fraction, organic waste, bulky items, and plant waste since April 1, 2020, by virtue of a contract formalized on March 16, 2020, and expiring on March 31, 2028.
• The Consortium, through Serveis Ambientals del Vallès Oriental, SA (SAVO), collects paper and cardboard, light packaging, and glass, in application of an agreement approved by the Plenary on July 23, 2024, and in force from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2026.
• The contract with URBASER has an annual amount of 1,464,262.92 euros including VAT, of which 439,254.90 corresponds to waste collection and 1,025,008.21 to street cleaning.

The report warns that the citizenry perceives the service as a single municipal provision and that the duality of operators hinders coordination, monitoring, and the implementation of homogeneous improvements.

The 28.53% ceiling and the 50% legal objective

The report justifies the change based on environmental results, which are far from the legal objectives:

• Gross selective collection of 28.53% in 2025, compared to 29.66% in 2024.
• Reference averages: 48.13% in Catalonia and 51.31% in Vallès Oriental.
• Collection per inhabitant: 125 kg/year in Canovelles, compared to 232 kg in Catalonia and 226 kg in the region.
• Improper waste in the organic fraction of 19.38% between July and August 2026.
• 490.56 tons of bulky items collected in 2025 in 5,760 services, of which 4,567 (nearly 80%) were due to dumping on public roads without prior notice.

Article 25.5 of Law 7/2022, of April 8, on waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy requires reaching 50% separate collection by 2035, and article 11.3 mandates the implementation of a fee that reflects the real cost of the service, known as the “fair fee.”

An extra cost of 23,651 euros in exchange for more capacity

The budget presented by the Consortium for 2027 estimates collection at 513,789.73 euros, compared to the current 490,138.59 euros from URBASER. Adding bulky waste (97,973.52 euros) and the weekly market (96,618.34 euros), the total would increase from 684,730.45 to 708,381.59 euros annually. The new model entails:

• Reduction from 160 contribution areas to 86 complete bilateral loading areas, with 489 containers.
• Increase in total capacity from 1,029 m³ to 1,577 m³ (+53%).
• Growth of 216% in the organic fraction (from 61 to 194 m³), 75% in packaging, and 44% in paper and cardboard.
• Containers with user identification and card access control for all fractions except glass.

Thirty days for allegations and deployment during 2027

The public information period begins the day after official publication and allows any interested person to submit claims. Implementation will be carried out gradually throughout 2027, with the reorganization of areas, the installation of smart containers, and the adaptation of routes.

Regarding personnel, the report acknowledges that the situation of the workers assigned to the service will need to be analyzed, including “eventual subrogation obligations” derived from labor regulations and collective agreements. It also foresees a specific information and support campaign, with special attention to elderly people or those with difficulties using technological systems.

The decision marks a turning point for residents: the waste bill and the way waste is deposited will change, and the city council will have to assume a more expensive service in exchange for a model that, according to the report, is the only viable way to comply with the law and stop twenty years of stagnation in recycling.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona, November 6, 2026, Local Administration, pp. 1-29 (official reference: CVE 202610166807).