Mallorca, an island that has captured the hearts of German vacationers for decades, is struggling more and more with a growing problem: garbage.
Discontent is particularly spreading in Cala d’Or, a stretch of coast that is actually known for its picturesque beauty and as a popular tourist destination.
Residents complain about a declining quality of life caused by garbage lying around, which is not only visually unsightly but also spreads unpleasant smells. A German resident now vented his anger.
“We lived here for a long time like we were in paradise! But those days are over now,” he complains. The number of garbage containers on his street has already increased from four to ten, but that hasn’t helped. In his opinion, the problem lies primarily in the fact that waste is disposed of improperly or that bulky waste is carelessly left on the street.
“Times are over”: German Mallorca resident rages over garbage problem
In fact, the problem of garbage on the island is unfortunately not new. Both locals and tourists have repeatedly complained about littered areas in the past. Not just on land.
In response, the newly established Ministry of the Sea in Mallorca launched an initiative in which waste from the sea around the Balearic Islands was collected from July to September 2023.
Compared to the previous year, the amount of garbage collected increased by 7.6 tons to a total of 27.8 tons, as the “Mallorca Zeitung” reported in November 2023.
But that doesn’t eliminate the problem at all. A long-time German pensioner and resident of Cala d’Or now vented his anger about the pollution to “Mallorca Magazine”.
Fines do not deter waste offenders
When asked by “Mallorca Magazin”, the town hall stated that it had not previously been aware of the problem, but promised to pass on the information and remedy the situation as quickly as possible. Despite the existing recycling system and strict regulations, including a ban on single-use plastic and the illegal dumping of bulky waste, the waste problem in Mallorca still persists.
In part this is attributed to the extreme party tourism in parts of the island. Attempts have already been made to take action against waste offenders with fines.
But especially in the evening and at night, when there are a lot of people partying in the relevant districts, such as El Arenal, the promenades are literally filled with rubbish. This is an enormous problem, especially for local residents, for which there currently does not seem to be a long-term solution.
By Paulina Meissner