They expand surveillance to capture citizens who throw garbage in the streets or misuse the Clean Points

The Guadalajara City Council reinforced the installation of video cameras in strategic points and reports a record in sanctions against neighbors who throw garbage in the streets.

The Directorate of Civic Justice applied punishments to more than 1,291 people, from October 2021 to date, an unprecedented number.

Ana Beatriz Marín, head of the Comprehensive Waste Management Unit of the Environment Directorate, launched an invitation to the co-responsibility of citizens to not throw garbage on public roads and separate waste in Clean Points.

The Government of Guadalajara recalled that there are 60 cameras to monitor the Clean Points, of which 15 are already installed and 45 are in the process of reinforcing the system.

She points out that they are not for businesses either, who have the obligation to hire a waste collection service.

For people who have questions about the operation, she adds that they can contact the Environment Directorate or call 33-3837-4400 at extension 4113. “Additionally, if they organize and have a school or a neighborhood assembly, we can go also to clarify any doubts about the proper use of these spaces.”

The sanctions for violators who throw garbage in the Clean Points or on the streets consist of a 36-hour arrest or fines of two thousand and up to 207 thousand pesos.

Guadalajara fail in the use of Clean Points

Although the objective of the Clean Points is to separate garbage by category, so that the waste can later be recycled, only 30% of the 243 Clean Points installed in Guadalajara are used correctly by citizens; That is, the waste is not mixed, the municipality shared.

This percentage is the same recorded by the City Council in March of this year, which means that there has been no progress in the use of the sites. The strategy started in 2016.

Ana Beatriz Marín, head of the Comprehensive Waste Management Unit of the Guadalajara Environment Directorate, explains that Clean Points mean that people respect the classification of waste.

“There are others in which it has been much more difficult for us to move towards this culture of respect for infrastructure and separation. In terms of functionality, they all work, with their correct maintenance, with their collection and hydro washing service, which is the part that corresponds to the municipality, but we certainly have many with whom we have conflict.

Marín indicates that the concession and the service provided by the company are closely supervised, so no sanctions have been issued for non-compliance. The contract provides for discounts on the consideration for non-compliance.

“Collection is daily, selectively (by type of waste) the hydrowashing or cleaning service is given and all the general maintenance that the Clean Point needs once a week. For its part, the Public Cleaning Directorate, in addition to serving the Clean Points, meets the demand of the entire city. They are often exceeded in their operational capacity and although in the project design daily collection has to be done; It certainly sometimes has operational complexities.”

On the other hand, the Government of Guadalajara shared that the objective is for there to be 60 cameras to monitor the Clean Points, of which 15 are already installed and 45 are in process. “They must be installed no later than November 13, 2023,” he assured through an information sheet.

They collect five thousand tons a year

Ana Beatriz Marín details that the waste collected at the Clean Points is five thousand tons per year. Regarding how differentiated separation works, it is explained that the concessionaire company takes them to a separation plant where they are segregated by type of material.

“For example, although it receives many types of plastics when it arrives at a plant, a much finer selection is made, because PET is not mixed with polystyrene or polypropylene, and the same is true for each can.”

She says that after segregation it is sent to recycling plants. “The environmental impact is that all the waste that falls into these clean points that are operated in this way does not reach our landfill, but on the contrary is reintegrated into the production cycles and becomes other new packaging or products that we all consume”.

In accordance with the “Municipal Program for the Comprehensive Management of Zero-Based Solid Waste”, the Clean Points are available 24 hours a day and they can deposit domestic waste with recyclable potential, and that generated by those who pass through or walk through the city.

“These spaces are not for commercial use, nor for receiving special handling or hazardous waste. Another quality of the Clean Points, when used correctly, is that since they are underground platforms, they are hermetically sealed at floor level, preventing the release of bad odors or the proliferation of harmful fauna and sources of infection.”

Angie Ramírez affirms that there are Clean Points without cleaning, such as those located in José Clemente Orozco and Arista, as well as in Gabriel Ramos Millán and Juan Álvarez. “Those are always horrible, and they almost never come to wash them or take away the trash.”

Israel Gutiérrez says that also the one on Porres Baranda street on the corner of Emilio Rabaza. “In Colonia Blanco and Cuéllar the services are very bad, the garbage passes at night and, although it does, twice a week. But the collectors are working at 100%, inspectors and other collectors of this Government are doing everything they can.”

Karla Flores adds that there is also no cleaning at the points located in the Lomas del Paraíso neighborhood. “It is worth mentioning that it is not the Government’s fault, people throw furniture and dead animals. They also go and leave all their garbage unsorted.”

Other places reported with dirt are in the American neighborhood, Santa Tere, in Revolución Park and in Paseo Alcalde.

The “Municipal Program for the Comprehensive Management of Zero-Base Solid Waste” indicates that a Clean Point is an underground platform on a public road where waste can be deposited in a categorized manner in four cans classified as: Metals, Paper and Cardboard, Plastic, PET, Remains, and recently there are cans for wrappers.

To collect the Clean Points, the platform is raised using a hydraulic system that allows access to four containers with a capacity of 1,100 liters, each corresponding to a different can.

Source: Informador

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