Shortly after 6:30 AM this Wednesday, an extensive cleaning operation commenced on the beaches of Barcelona and along the entire Catalan coast. The night of festivities and fireworks left a significant amount of waste, including plastic bags, bottles, cups, and cigarette butts, highlighting a common lack of civic responsibility that repeats annually.
Police initiated the progressive evacuation of the Barcelona coastline between 6:00 AM and 6:30 AM, allowing municipal cleaning service workers to begin their tasks. The city council reported that the cleaning brigade has been reinforced with 532 employees and 223 vehicles to remove debris.
The objective of the cleaning operation is to restore public spaces to normality as soon as possible, enabling swimmers and walkers to enjoy the beaches with a more dignified landscape throughout the morning.
Outside the Catalan capital, the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB), in collaboration with eight coastal municipalities, has deployed a special intensive cleaning operation from Montgat to Castelldefels. This operation, which began around 6:00 AM, is scheduled to conclude by 9:30 AM.
This metropolitan operation involves 160 workers, three compacting trucks, nine screening machines, three quad bikes, and 29 4x4 vehicles, six of which are equipped with high-pressure water systems for cleaning equipment and cooling potential bonfires. Fifteen auxiliary 12-cubic-meter containers and three backhoe loaders have also been provided.
The AMB has conducted similar cleaning campaigns in previous years to ensure the beaches are ready for bathing from early morning on June 24th, a significant challenge considering the 42 kilometers of coastline in the metropolitan area.
Additionally, a 100% manual cleaning is being carried out on the beaches within the natural spaces of the Llobregat Delta, with five AMB technical staff coordinating the tasks.
