Municipal waste-recycling centre returns to San Pedro Alcántara after three-year absence

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Following the destruction of the previous 'punto limpio' in a fire in June 2023, Marbella town plans to reopen the facility at its original site on San Pedo's main industrial estate

José Carlos García

Marbella

Tuesday, 7 April 2026, 17:17

San Pedro Alcántara will once again have a waste-recycling centre ('punto limpio') for waste disposal that cannot be placed in regular bins. This comes more than three years after the fire on 26 June 2023 that destroyed the previous facility. It will be located on the same municipal plot of land as before, Calle Malta, on San Pedro's industrial estate.

The municipal government has already launched the project by putting it out to tender. The budget is 1.22 million euros with a six-month construction period, so it could be completed by the end of this year.

The lack of such a facility has led to waste being dumped on plots of land and infrequently-used roads.

San Pedro Alcántara, with a population of approximately 45,000 inhabitants, currently lacks a dedicated recycling centre, "forcing potential users to travel to the one located in Marbella town centre, more than 15 kilometres away", explains the town hall. "In practice, the absence of a nearby punto limpio is causing, due to the inconsiderate actions of some residents, the fly-tipping and accumulation of various types of waste (building debris, scrap metal, tyres, household goods and so on) on plots of land and infrequently-used roads in the district, causing serious risk of health hazards, fires, public order and other issues", states the council in the project documentation.

Faced with this situation, San Pedro's council has proposed creating a space for this purpose on this 3,385-square-metre plot on the San Pedro industrial estate, in the north of the town centre. The aim is to "respond as quickly as possible to the high demand for the reception and collection of household waste created by private individuals", thus avoiding "its improper dumping on unsuitable plots and on public roads".

Facilities

This waste-handling centre will accept any waste that cannot be disposed of in conventional containers, from paints and building rubble to oils and electrical appliances. The facility will include compactors to reduce waste volume and a collection area for reusable materials from electrical and electronic equipment, in accordance with Spanish regulations.

The project includes preliminary site preparation work (clearing and earthmoving), basic infrastructure (electrical installation, lighting and water and sewage systems) and fire protection and anti-intrusion systems, including video surveillance, as well as perimeter fencing and a control booth, among other improvements.