• Català
  • Castellano
  • English
Areas Urbanism & territory, Tourism and Economic activities Environment

Used oil collection sites multiply across island

Foto recollida oli 1The Formentera Council's environment office announces the addition of three household oil collection bins to the local landscape. With two already installed in la Savina near es Trituradors tower and on a roadside in es Pujols (carrer Punta Prima), a third is in the works in es Caló.

The three units join a stable of seven already installed at sites across the island—the sports pitches of es Cap, the la Mola primary school, carrer Joan Castelló in Sant Ferran, Illes Pitiüses park (la Savina), carrer Espalmador (es Pujols) and at sa Senieta car park and the public-housing building (Sant Francesc). Used oil can also be taken to the island's rubbish drop-off site, la Deixalleria.

The containers are at the core of a compact between the Council and waste management firm Ca na Negreta in which the local administration foots a yearly €9,504 bill to maintain the 600- to 900-litre bins, equipped for drop-off of recipients of up to five litres.

As part of the deal, Ca na Negreta must oversee emptying of filled containers at least once a month. The company will also perform checks (bi-weekly in summer and monthly in winter) to clean the containers and remove any nearby articles which are improperly disposed of.

Environment secretary Daisee Aguilera highlighted the importance of responsible recycling practices, especially when in comes to used oil. “Just one litre of oil can contaminate one million litres of water”, Aguilera pointed out, calling the prospect of unduly binned houshold oils “a serious problem for our sanitation and sewerage infrastructure.”

Collecting used oil at businesses
Companies whose outputs include used vegetable or industrial oils (mechanics or rental car agencies, for example) must turn the waste over to outside organisms which are specially accredited to oversee disposal. Such entities perform on-site pickups since drooff at public collection sites is prohibited for businesses.

Used oil pickup is typically free. Authorised oil-disposal firms must issue a receipt of services rendered, which may be requested in future checks by the arm of government which directs hazardous waste collection, the Govern balear.

'Formentera, Water Smart Island' at SWAN 2018

Foto watersmartislandEarlier today CiF environment secretary Daisee Aguilera and Ángel Encinas, from the innovation and technology wing of Aquàlia, the company which holds Formentera's water management contract, took to Barcelona's global SWAN 2018 congress to unveil a project styling Formentera as a “water-smart island”.

The presentation was included in a conference on the role of “education, commitment and responsibility in smart cities”, moderated by Eva Martínez, who is the chief of smart management in Aquàlia's innovation arm.

'Formentera Water Smart Island'
The recognised success of “Formentera Water Smart Island” —the project which brought cutting-edge, remote water metre readers to Sant Ferran— has inspired administration officials to take the rollout mainstream. A total of 2,394 of the “smart readers” — at zero direct cost to islanders— are now awaiting installation.

Officials say it's about sustainable and appropriate use of the water resources so precious on the island. One figure in particular —Formentera's rate of water efficiency— is 89.57 per cent.

The system makes it possible to conduct real-time readings of metres, resulting in clearer information for users on the grid and improved efficiency. It also means serious advantages for customers. For one, it allows operators to check metres without having to physically travel to the area or household in question, thus eliminating estimated readings. Leaks at the household-level can be spotted, too, helping water users catch technical failures at home and sparing them the attendant water bills. Metres which are malfunctioning or have stopped outright can be easily detected as well, giving Aquàlia up-to-date breakdowns on volume across the grid that, although distributed, is not recorded due to technical problems, fraud or unchecked consumption. The system offers an area-specific means of tracking water demand, plus objective and detailed information to open up the possibility of investment in the grid.

Remote readings represent yet another tech-based breakthrough of the many that Formentera's water works have already experienced. The island is now home to a grid-wide system permitting the tracking and controlling at a distance of supply and sanitation activity, as well as readings concerning segmented supply and isolated leaks.

Formentera consolidates and expands recycling programme for organic waste

foto dia reciclatge 2018 2The Formentera Council's environment office took the opportunity of International Recycling Day to distribute special composting sacks to businesses in Sant Francesc which took part in last year's test run of a door-to-door programme to recycle organic waste.

Last year, one hundred tonnes of discarded organic material were collected and mixed with shredded plant trimmings. A roughly eight-month maturation process resulted in three hundred cubic metres of high-quality compost for gardens and agriculture.

CiF environment secretary Daisee Aguilera thanked the participants in last year's trial in Sant Francesc and underscored the importance of recycling organic rubbish. The secretary highlighted the importance of “consolidating the cycle of organic matter”, and beamed about the current measure's potential to “restore the inherent utility of organic waste” at the same time it “helps to reduce the volume of material entering landfills”. Aguilera professed renewed ambition in what she maintained was an already very successful recycling programme on the island. “This year we've been named the biggest per capita glass recyclers in the nation,” she said. “We're hoping that sort of active participation will continue across local business, because organic waste recycling helps us all”.

Following the success of last year's recycling push, the Council moved to extend organic waste collection to the entire island. Over a five-month period that began May 15, one hundred seventy local businesses classified as “medium- to large-scale waste producers” will be able to recycle their organic refuse at points along two established routes. In addition, businesses will have at their disposition an environmental ombudsperson and three patrol staff available to provide assistance and field questions about the initiative.

Last year Formentera's €90,000 organic waste initiative received €32,000 in subsidies from the environmental arm of the LEADER programme. It is hoped 400 tonnes will be collected this year.

This summer, Formentera's visiting cruise ships must steer clear of posidonia

foto sea cloud IIThe department of environment of the Formentera Council reports that this summer, cruise ships that tie up in the island's waters must do it outside la Savina port's zone two. The measure can be traced to 2015, when the Council began advocating for posidonia preservation.

Environment secretary Daisee Aguilera spoke cheerily about a measure “offering the renewed promise of balancing tourism-driven cruise ship traffic with posidonia safeguards”. She also thanked agencies like the Balearic Islands port authority and harbour master's office and Verlio, an Eivissan shipping agent, for their engagement in the effort.

The first cruise ship to anchor in nearby waters this season will be Sea Cloud II, a 117-metre vessel whose arrival is scheduled for this Friday. Two more have stops planned this summer. To avoid damage to the seagrass meadows, all three ships will anchor one nautical mile northwest of the port in a sandy bottomed area of water 40 metres deep.

With online service activated, Formentera gives islanders voice in proposed MEDSALT-2 surveys

Foto medsaltThe Formentera Council is joining Aliança Mar Blava's bid to stop Medsalt-2, a series of proposed acoustic surveys, by allowing islanders to voice opposition online.

Besides collecting comments on the project in person at the environment office, street-side canvassing has also been conducted at events like the recent half marathon and a stand on the administration's doorstep. From today, islanders can take to the Formentera Citizen Information Office's online platform (OVAC) to leave comments on the plan.

From the “Destacats” menu on the main page, visitors to the site will find the option to “Present comments on the MEDSALT-2 acoustic survey project” (Presentació al·legacions al projecte de sondejos acústics MEDSALT-2). Clicking on it will lead them to page where their comment can be signed and sent. The page also features information about the project and details about the online comments process.

Given the potentially devastating repercussions the project stands to have on our coasts, the Council urges broad support of Aliança Mar Blava's effort to stop it.

More Articles...

Page 46 of 68

46

conselleria_mediambient_1

Formentera neta, naturalmet gràcies a valtros

Xarxa Natura de les Illes Balears

Punt d'Informació Ambiental

Balears Life Posidonia

platges_eng_baix_1