The situation of illegal dumpsites located at various points in Vitoria-Gasteiz was addressed during the Cleaning and Environment Commission held last Tuesday. An opposition councilor criticized the municipal government for the magnitude of the problem, warning that "it is not just an image problem, but can lead to environmental issues".
The councilor referred to a varied range of cases, from small dumpsites on public roads to larger waste disposals in areas such as Lasarte, and denounced the "bad faith of all individuals who illegally deposit these residues". According to the councilor, up to 26 illegal landfills have been counted in Vitoria-Gasteiz, some of which have been reclaimed and others not.
“"It is not just an image problem, but can lead to environmental issues."
Complaints registered in the citizen mailbox have shown a "constant trickle" in recent years: 18 in the previous year, 17 in 2023, and 13 in 2024. However, the penalties imposed have been minimal: one in 2023, another in 2024, and two in 2025, a balance that the councilor described as an "insufficient number".
The councilor responsible for the area defended the municipal management and clarified the scope of the problem. He assured that the service acts both based on citizen calls and through its own inspections, with the aim of resolving each case "as quickly as possible". The councilor specified that there is no properly identified dumpsite as such in the city, but rather the detected cases mainly correspond to isolated acts of incivility by individuals who, after carrying out works, abandon the remains on public roads. "It is important how we name things," he emphasized.
