Smart bin controversy in Girona

History of the smart bin controversy in Girona

Origin of the new bin system

In 2020, Spain missed its EU target of waste recycling target of 50%. The EU had established the following targets for EU Member States:

• At least 50 % municipal waste should be reused, recycled or recovered by 2020
• At least 55 % by 2025
• At least 60 % by 2030
• At least 65 % by 2035

Spain faced the threat of fines if failed to meet future targets. The Ajuntament of Girona, led by then-mayor Marta Madrenas i Mir, decided to adopt what was called the pioneering “Girona Model” for recycling. Instead of continuing to use open container systems (colour‐coded bins), it switched to:

• Smart containers with card-based access for 70% of the city The model replaced five containers (paper, plastic, glass, organic, and unrecyclables) with two containers (one container for organic, and the other containers who everything else, but on different days). People now had to use a keycard to open these bins.
• Mobile collection containers in the Barri Vell
• Door-to-door collection for houses

In 2022, Girona City Council awarded an 8-year, €153 million waste management and street cleaning contract to FCC Medio Ambiente. FCC Medio Ambiente has been responisble for Girona's waste management and street cleaning since 1987.

The contract included implementation of the the “Girona Model” smart container system, with electronic locks and sensors, and weighing all waste upon collection, as well as door-to-door system for houses and mobile collection models in the Barri Vell.

Problems with the new bin system emerge

As the new bin system was slowly implemented across Girona, everything seemed fine at first. There were few complaints, the city was clean, and everything seemed to be going smoothly. However, what was actually happening was that many people were simply not using the new bins. Instead they were taking their rubbish to the old bins in nearby neighourhoods, called "trash tourism".

Once the new bin system was rolled out across all of Girona, however, many problems emerged. Trash began piling up outside the bins. Public trash cans began overflowing.

Regardless of all these problems, the city council was contractually bound to maintain the system until 2030; cancelling it earlier would involve a reported penalty of about €8 million.

In the 14 neighbourhoods with smart bin in place, only 83% of residents had gone to pick up cards. This meant 4,792 residents were without cards. The council sent cards to these people's houses instead.

Petition and changes

A group called Girona Neta i Digna, run by Jordi Tomàs, began a petition against the new bin system. The petition got 6,848 signatures of local residents. On 4 July 2025, Girona Neta i Digna handed the petition to the Ajuntament. The Ajuntament warned that open waste containers were "gone forever" and that the new system in place, door-to-door waste sorting and emergency waste sorting points, will be the future.

On 14 July 2025, the Ajuntament brought back green containers for glass recycling

On 22 July 2025, the Ajuntament announced a modification of the contract with Girona +Neta where all five bins would be brought back (glass, paper, plastic, organic, and rebuig) in January 2026. People would be able to throw all types of waste 24/7, like in the previous bins system. The keycard system will remain, however.

On 10 November 2025, the Ajuntament agreed on Girona Neta i Digna's idea to create a new citizen monitoring group to improve the waste situation.. The decision was approved by all political parties in the City Council except Vox. Girona Neta i Digna's proposal was to create a group to regularly share data, identify problems, agree on improvements, and evaluate the city’s cleaning services.

At the same time, the Ajuntament also confirmed a second fine (about €258,700) against the waste-collection company UTE Sanejament Girona for delays and contract failures, such as missed cleanings.

Problems with the new bin system

The problems with the new bin system can be summarised as follows:

Problems with the cards

• Instead of the council simply posting a card to every household (which would have been an easy way to ensure everyone got one), residents had to collect a card in person from one of four OSGRE support offices.
• The OSGRE offices were rarely open — some only two mornings per week — so not everyone collected a card.
• Lost cards had to be replaced by visiting an OSGRE office again.
• Some access cards stopped working and also had to be replaced at the OSGRE office.
• Many tourists did not have cards and were advised by landlords to dispose of rubbish in public litter bins.
• The cards recorded how often containers were opened but not what waste was deposited, which limited their usefulness for monitoring recycling behaviour.

Problems with the calendar aspect of the system

Smart bin calendar

• The system required residents to keep certain types of waste at home until the scheduled day. Sometimes it was 10 pm on a Thursday and you realized you needed to throw away paper, but it was too late — and you had to keep it for another week.
• Paper and cardboard containers filled up quickly on their assigned collection day, forcing residents to seek other containers.
• Organic waste could not be recycled on weekends.
• The grey bins were locked on Tuesdays or Sundays, so they were just sitting there doing nothing on these days.
• Organic waste could be deposited only three days per week, even though containers were physically present at all times.
• Diapers could be thrown away only two days per week, which was difficult for families with infants, especially in summer. Families with babies had to store used diapers for multiple days in a row.
• In the Barri Vell, collection windows were shorter: containers were open only from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., and each fraction (e.g., glass or paper) could be disposed of during one three-hour period per week.
• The collection calendar was complex. Some residents who previously recycled stopped doing so.
• Tourists unfamiliar with the schedule sometimes just gave up and left bags beside the bins.
• Containers were open only from 7:00 to 22:00, which meant there was no way to recycle or throw waste at night.
• Some residents had to plan food purchases (e.g., fresh fish) around collection days. Because if you bought fish and threw the fish bones in the bin, the bones could sit there for a days until you were able to throw them away in an organic bin.
• Collection trucks operated between 22:00 and 7:00 and generated noise that disturbed sleep.
• On non-collection days for certain fractions (e.g., cans or packaging), residents often used public bins instead of recycling containers.
• If the bins weren't emptied on time, waste from one day got mixed with the next, such as card mixing with plastic.
• Residents had to go to the bins every day instead of once a week. This was annoying and also created difficulties for elderly and disabled residents.

Problems with the smart bins

• The containers occasionally malfunctioned and could not be opened.
• Some elderly and disabled residents found the new opening mechanism difficult to use.

Porta a porta (door-to-door collection

• Under the previous system, the council collected waste from communal containers. The new door-to-door model required collection vehicles to visit each household instead, occasionally causing traffic delays behind collection vehicles.
• Residents had to place waste outside their homes between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on designated days. Those who were not home during that hour could not throw their trash. Waste placed out too early could incur a fine; if placed out too late, it had to be taken back indoors until the next collection.
• There were three zones (A, B, and the city centre). The schedules for each zone were different, and calendars were overly detailed and sometimes confusing ([Zone B calendar](https://web.girona.cat/documents/20147/10365010/calendari-anual-2025-portaaporta-zonaB.pdf), [Zone A calendar](https://web.girona.cat/documents/20147/10365010/calendari-anual-2025-portaaporta-zonaA.pdf), [general info](https://web.girona.cat/netejairesidus/residus/portaaporta)).
• In Zones A and B, glass and mixed waste were collected only every two weeks, with a one-hour window for putting the waste out out.
• On public holidays, the vans operated at different times, which residents could only learn about through local WhatsApp groups.
• Each household received standard-sized collection boxes. Families with children or pets sometimes found the boxes too small.
• When residents went on holiday, uncollected boxes could indicate that the house was unoccupied, making the houses targets for buglars.

Other issues

• The new system was introduced without a prior local referendum or consultation process.
• Emergency bins existed but were small, sparsely located, and not well publicized.
• Some residents expressed concern that the card system allowed tracking of personal activity without clear information on data protection or privacy rights.
• Other countries used reward-based systems (such as bottle-deposit refunds), while Girona’s model relied on fines of up to €600 for infractions.
• Domestic waste taxes increased by 25.87 % to fund the new system.
• Shops, bars, and restaurants had to leave waste bags in the street for collection.
• Many residents felt that the system made recycling more complicated rather than easier.
• There were too few containers in busy areas.
• Containers lacked signage explaining how to obtain a card, locate emergency bins, or report full or broken containers.

Organisations and Instagram accounts against the bin system

Several groups and Instagram accounts have appeared in response to the mess and disorder caused by the new bin system.

Recuperem Girona

Recuperem Girona is an umbrella group consisting of Girona Neta i Digna, El Parc No Es Toca, and Amics Jardins Pedreres. Its Instagram account was created on 9 July 2025, on the same day as the Instagram account for Girona Neta i Digna, suggesting Jordi Tomas created it.

On 22 September, gerio.cat wrote an article about Recuperem Girona. https://www.gerio.cat/noticia/1723823/neix-una-plataforma-ciutadana-a-girona-per-reclamar-una-ciutat-neta-verda-i-digna

El Parc No Es Toca

El Parc No Es Toca is a campaign to prevent the council from using Parc de Jordi Vilamitjana i Pujol as the site for the new Trueta hospital.

May be run by someone called Anna Ballestero.

The Instagram account was created on 24 July 2024.

Girona Neta i Digna

Girona Neta i Digna is a group that came about in response to the massive amounts of litter in Girona caused by the smart bin system. The driving force behind it is Jordi Tomas.

Jordi Tomas started gaining traction on 30 May 2025 when he (and two other residents of the Palau neighbourhood?) created an online petition against the new bin system called "Recollida de firmes per recuperar una Girona neta". The petition went viral, and on 4 July 2025, Jordi handed the petition to the Ajuntament, which had 6,848 signatures. On 9 July 2025, he created the Instagram account Girona Neta i Digna.

After submitting the signatures, Jordi received a greeting letter from the mayor, but was told the signatures would not go any further.

On 10 November 2025, the Ajuntament agreed on Girona Neta i Digna's idea to create a new citizen monitoring group to improve the waste situation.. The decision was approved by all political parties in the City Council except Vox. Girona Neta i Digna proposed to create a group to regularly share data, identify problems, agree on improvements, and evaluate the city’s cleaning services.

Girona Neta i Digna became an association in 2026 and held their assemblea fundacional on 4 February 2026.

They have a couple of WhatsApp groups, one of which is called "Info 1" and can be reached at https://chat.whatsapp.com/DANrhotcS8jKW9tR1QXRdq

Amics Jardins de les Pedreres

An Instagram account created in November 2025 to protest against the council's plan to redevelop the Jardins de les Pedreres.

Summary

Name	Instagram	Instagram creation date	Followers (on July 16, 2025)	Notes	Things they don't like
Recuperem Girona	@recuperemgirona	July 9, 2025	131	Recuperem Girona is an umbrella group made up of Girona Neta i Digna, El Parc No Es Toca, Amics Jardins Pedreres.
Girona Neta i Digna	@girona.neta.i.digna	July 9, 2025	282
Girona Perduda	@gironaperduda	September 8, 2025	7,155 (as of 17 October 2025)	Right-wing account that really really hates homeless people and the mayor. Has gained a huge number of followers very quickly. Probably run by Vox or another right-wing political party.	Homelessness, bin system, the mayor
Girona Més Neta	@girona_mes_neta
Girona 365	@girona_365	May 1, 2025	822	The Instagram description says "¡GIRONA sin FILTROS!"	Bin system, cyclists
Amics Jardins de les Pedreres	@amicsjardinspedreres	November 20, 2025			The redevelopment of Jardins de les Pedreres
Girona Nostra	@gironanostra	September 29, 2025			Bin system, graffiti, weeds
Girona Top	@gironatop	July 13, 2025	14		Bin system, graffiti

Other accounts that are somewhat related:

Name	Instagram	Instagram creation date	Followers (on July 16, 2025)	Notes	Things they don't like
	@elparcnoestoca	22 July 2024		They want to stop a park from being destroyed
	@stop.contenidors.digitals			Based in Premiá de Mar

Newspaper articles

• 23 Nov 2020: https://www.diaridegirona.cat/girona/2020/11/23/girona-implantara-27-arees-contenidors-48658021.html

Other

• https://stopcontenidorsdigitals.org/stop-dt is a campaign to stop smart bins in Premià de Mar.