Reason to be

Waste management is a reflection of our lifestyle. Consumption habits, the place that we occupy in the social structure, our relationship with the environment and the way that we understand progress… All these matters come to light when we analyse our way of managing the waste we produce.

In the Basque Country, its development has been significant in recent years. We have become aware of the importance of this issue and, at present, there are few people who have any doubts about the need to properly process waste. Both citizens and municipal organisations are obliged to act responsibly.

In this regard, it is notable how institutions have adorned their speeches with carefully chosen terminology: health, the environment, circular economy…these are some of the concepts heard most often. However, beyond vacuous speeches, practices are very different in the majority of cases.

The Basque Country lacks a joint policy for waste treatment, each territory functions in its own way, and there has been a desire to obtain political gains from a problem that requires social commitment. Often, counterproductive and mistaken decisions prevail, thus encouraging sporadic trends and economic interests. At present, the waste law is clear in terms of the principles that must define its management: the principle of treatment hierarchy, the policy of rates and prices and the criteria of transparency, among others. When these principles are not applied, the statements lacking content are confusing, false and harmful.

In view of this conduct, the municipalities of the Basque Country that are signing this document state our total commitment to responsible and sustainable waste management, both in theory and in practice. The municipalities that support this way of working have decided to join forces in order to encourage cooperation to benefit our common interests.