Spanish National Law 7/2022 on waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy establishes the obligation for local authorities with more than 5,000 inhabitants to adopt ordinances regulating waste collection and management (Final Provision 8).

ENT has extensive experience in the preparation of municipal waste ordinances. These projects usually begin with a diagnosis of the current legal framework and of the municipality’s waste management system. Based on this assessment, the ordinance is drafted, regulating the rights and obligations of citizens and commercial activities in relation to waste management. This includes provisions on fractions subject to separate collection, delivery conditions, emergency areas (where applicable), collection of commercial waste, monitoring mechanisms, and penalties. In some cases, ordinances are also used to regulate the street cleaning service and the operation of municipal recycling centres.

Municipal waste ordinances are an effective tool to regulate waste collection and treatment at the local level. A well-designed regulatory framework makes it possible to distribute responsibilities accurately between the administration and users, including both households and businesses.