Temporary halt: Waste transfers from Ibiza and Formentera to Mallorca postponed

Test phase for waste transport on hold — for now.

On Tuesday morning, while the sun lay low over Palma's harbour, it became clear: the planned trial to bring waste from Ibiza and Formentera to Mallorca will not take place for the time being. A decree intended to establish the legal basis failed in the regional parliament — largely because the Vox party voted against it. The test runs, which were due to start at the end of October or beginning of November, are therefore postponed indefinitely.

Why it's stalling

The island administration of Mallorca openly says it is still working on a rapid implementation. At the same time it admits: a stable legal basis is currently missing. That may sound bureaucratic, but it has practical consequences. Without a valid decree no one can plan with legal certainty: no ferries, no contracts, no extra capacity at the Son Reus facilities or other transfer stations.

On site the announcement provided food for conversation. On the Plaça de Cort, where I happened to be having coffee at around 3:30 p.m., two shop owners discussed possible odor problems and the impression on tourists. "If it's badly organized, we'll notice it immediately," said one of them. Others, such as environmental groups, are more skeptical: sea transports bring emissions and new risks.

What was planned — and what remains open

Sources within the island administration said it was initially a test phase with limited quantities to relieve Mallorca's infrastructure and stabilise waste management in the Pitiusas. No concrete figures were given; several trial transports by ferry were planned in the coming weeks. Now everything is postponed — and the question remains how much waste may be transferred at all, what fees will apply and who will be responsible if something goes wrong.

Politicians from smaller municipalities are demanding more transparency: mayors of places like Santanyí or Alcúdia want to know exactly whether their facilities will be affected and how the waste volumes would be distributed. Legal opinions are to be reviewed; appeals or court proceedings could follow if the administration tries to push through a new regulation without broad consensus.

Outlook

In the short term, everything remains open. Realistically: there will be no transport until all parties sit down together and the legal basis is clarified. Whether that will take weeks or months is hard to say. For many residents this means: wait and see. And for the administration: improve, explain, convince. That's how politics sometimes works: slow, loud, and with unexpected coffee breaks on the Plaça.