Yaiza adds audio messages and cameras at bin points to curb dumped rubbish

Walk up to certain recycling points in the municipality of Yaiza and a recorded voice will thank you: “Gracias por depositar el residuo dentro de su contenedor” — thank you for putting your waste inside the container. The audio system was installed by the town council three months ago as a pilot scheme, the first of its kind in the Canary Islands, to remind residents that each type of waste has its own bin: organic, paper and cardboard, glass and plastic.

The message also serves as a warning. Leaving bags or bulky items on the ground beside the containers is prohibited under the municipality's Ordenanza de Convivencia Ciudadana, with penalties of up to 3,000 euros. At the worst-affected locations, waste left outside the bins has spilled onto pavements and obstructed pedestrians.

Early figures point to a drop in incidents at exactly those problem spots. “We want to send a positive message to improve recycling habits and deter uncivic behaviour that unfortunately we continue to detect,” says mayor Óscar Noda, who frames the issue as shared ground between the council, which must provide the resources for a proper cleaning service, and residents, who must respect their community and surroundings.

The installation is not only acoustic. Cleaning councillor Rubén Arca confirms that the system has integrated cameras aimed at the same problem, and that the council intends to extend it to further locations currently under technical assessment. At night the audio is switched off and a light activates instead, illuminating the area when someone approaches the bins. Separately, Yaiza is assessing five bids submitted by companies to improve its cleaning service.

Using the bins if you are staying in the south

Visitors renting apartments in Playa Blanca and the rest of the municipality are subject to the same rules as residents. The offence that carries a fine is not choosing the wrong container but leaving the bag outside it: if a bin is full, the practical option is the next collection point or a later trip. Bulky waste such as furniture, mattresses and appliances cannot be left beside the containers and must go through the channels set out by the council. Keep in mind that the audio-equipped points also carry cameras.