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Spanish Towns Split on 2026 Waste Charges as Councils Approve Hikes or Reject Them

Votes this week show divergent responses to EU 'user pays' rules, with rebates alongside pay‑by‑generation trials entering 2026 plans.

Overview

  • Portugalete approved a 45% rise in the garbage fee—about €2.8 more per month per household—alongside a 2.7% general update and a new contract that adds card‑access organic containers within three months.
  • Santurtzi’s full opposition bloc voted down the PNV’s proposed 306% waste‑rate increase, which aimed to lift annual revenue from €1.7 million to €5.2 million.
  • Ontinyent set a 20% waste‑fee increase for 2026 but will refund that amount on the first 2027 bill to households that meet new recycling use thresholds under a door‑to‑door, chip‑tracked system starting July 1, 2026.
  • Teo approved significant rises from 2026 for daily and non‑daily collection—with exemptions for vulnerable households—and shifted business calculations to floor area, while other towns set modest general hikes near 2.7–3% and smaller waste adjustments.
  • Barcelona provisionally advanced 2026 ordinances that freeze taxes for families and small firms and raise the tourist surcharge by €1 annually pending parliamentary approval, as Basauri and Galdakao adopted strong IBI measures on empty homes and Valladolid’s provincial council sought suspension of the mandatory national waste fee.