Bellver de Cerdanya installs cameras to combat container misuse

The Town Hall aims to reduce illegal waste dumping through surveillance and improved collection methods.

Generic image of a public waste container in a town square.
IA

Generic image of a public waste container in a town square.

The Bellver de Cerdanya Town Hall has decided to install surveillance cameras to combat incivility and the improper use of public waste containers in the municipality.

The governing team in Bellver de Cerdanya has taken this step due to the persistent illegal dumping of garden waste, rubble, bulky items, and other types of garbage outside the containers, particularly in more isolated areas like the outskirts of Riu de Santa Maria.
As explained by the mayor, Laia Serra, industrial waste such as rubble, tires, and bags of parquet polishing dust has been found, which does not originate from private individuals and is not taken to the recycling center. The issue of bulky items has also been highlighted, as they are often left outside the designated collection days, hindering the municipality's cleanliness efforts.
The council has emphasized that the primary intention is not to issue fines, but to reduce incivility. This measure follows the recent implementation of the door-to-door collection system in Bellver, Llívia, Guils, and Prats i Sansor, as well as the installation of smart container islands.
The mayor acknowledged the need to adjust waste collection frequencies for greater efficiency and called for a collective effort to adapt to the new system, reminding that the container islands are designed for minimal use and that door-to-door collection facilitates management.
The governing team has reported that the number of containers per fraction has been doubled and that the new ones can still be opened without a keycard, although they regret that garbage is often thrown directly on the ground. The cameras have been installed on Carrer Josep Zulueta in Bellver, and in Talló, Bor, and Riu de Santa Maria.