las palmas gran canaria escoba de platino

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria awarded top urban cleanliness prize

Las Palmas wins top urban cleanliness prize

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has been awarded the Escoba de Platino, the highest honour granted by the Technical Association for Waste Management and the Environment (ATEGRUS) for the best urban cleaning and environmental management initiatives carried out by public administrations and entities in Spain, Portugal and Latin America.

The award was collected by Héctor Alemán, the councillor for Urban Hygiene and Carnival, during the ceremony held at the International Urban Planning and Environment Fair (TECMA) in Madrid, one of the sector’s leading professional gatherings.

A recognition of innovation and citizen involvement

The distinction acknowledges the progress made by the city council to improve urban hygiene through a model based on proximity to residents, continuous service improvements, and the introduction of new resources to enhance the cleanliness of public spaces.

The jury particularly valued the Urban Hygiene Plan promoted by the council, a strategy designed to bring municipal resources closer to neighbourhoods in order to guarantee cleanliness, order and the appearance of the city, while also strengthening citizen participation in service improvements. The awareness campaigns under the banner “El Poder de un Gesto” (The Power of a Gesture) were also singled out for praise.

Councillor: “A recognition of the work being done”

Héctor Alemán said that this Escoba de Platino “is a recognition of the work the council has been doing to continue improving urban hygiene in all the city’s neighbourhoods and to offer public services that are increasingly effective and closer to the people.”

The Urban Hygiene councillor stressed that “the Urban Hygiene Plan and the various measures we have put in place to improve the city’s cleaning have allowed us to bring municipal resources to all neighbourhoods and strengthen residents’ involvement in the care of public spaces, incorporating their proposals into service planning and evaluation.”

Key measures: new ordinance, emergency contract and major tender

Among the actions carried out, the following stand out: the initial approval of the new Municipal Ordinance on Cleaning and Waste, the first regulatory update in over twenty years; the launch of an emergency contract on public health grounds to reinforce urban hygiene, which involves the addition of 300 staff and around 50 vehicles; and the tender for a new waste collection contract worth €156.9 million for the next eight years.

According to Alemán, this tender “will allow the incorporation of more than 100 vehicles, 191 professionals and 10,000 new bins, which will represent a major leap in quality to continue improving the service and move towards more efficient and sustainable management.”

Brown bins and district collection points

In addition, the brown (organic waste) bin has been progressively introduced and the Urban Hygiene Plan has intensified cleaning, sweeping, weeding, waste removal and maintenance work in the municipality’s various neighbourhoods. These efforts are complemented by joint operations with the Parks and Gardens department and the establishment of temporary waste collection points in each district.

Prestigious award

The Escoba de Platino is the highest category in a leading awards scheme for urban cleaning and environmental management, recognising the most innovative and effective initiatives developed by administrations and organisations in Spain, Portugal and Latin America.

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