Balearic Islands remove more than 22 tonnes of waste from their most valuable coastal areas

The initiative, carried out by the Environmental Quality and Education Service, combines the conservation of the natural environment with the creation of employment opportunities for people at risk of social exclusion.

The brigades involved in the project “Improving the Quality of Environmentally Significant Areas in the Balearic Islands through the Participation of People at Risk of Social Exclusion”, funded through revenues from the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS), have completed the activities planned for the 2025–2026 season after eight months of work in the archipelago’s main coastal natural areas. The project, which has a budget of €2 million and will run until 2028, is implemented by the Environmental Quality and Education Service of the Directorate General for Natural Environment and Forest Management. Its aim is to improve the environmental quality of beaches, coves and natural coastal habitats, as well as the conservation of the species that inhabit them, through cleaning, maintenance and conservation activities in areas of high ecological value, particularly those included in the Natura 2000 Network and protected natural areas.

During this season, the two brigades operating in Mallorca and the brigade covering Ibiza and Formentera removed a total of 22,000 kilograms of waste abandoned in natural areas. Of this total, 16,000 kilograms were collected in Mallorca and 6,000 kilograms in Ibiza and Formentera. In addition, the brigades removed nearly 1,700 kilograms of invasive plants and collected more than 27,000 cigarette butts, one of the most common and persistent forms of litter in coastal ecosystems. Environmental improvement actions were also carried out within the area of S’Albufera des Grau Natural Park in Menorca.

The Director General for Natural Environment and Forest Management, Anna Torres, highlighted that “this project is an example of how resources generated through the Sustainable Tourism Tax are transformed into concrete actions for the conservation of the Balearic Islands’ natural heritage.” Torres stressed that “the removal of waste, the control of invasive species and the restoration of sensitive areas directly contribute to improving the conservation status of coastal ecosystems and preserving their natural values.”

The Director General also emphasized the social dimension of the initiative, noting that “this programme combines environmental protection with the creation of employment opportunities for people at risk of social exclusion, thereby multiplying the social and environmental return on public investment.”

The work has been carried out by leading social organizations in the Balearic Islands: Aproscom Foundation, Amadip Esment, Estel de Llevant, Apfem Aktua, the Menorca Island Disability Foundation, and the Spanish Red Cross, all of which provide teams made up of people at risk of social exclusion.

The activities are undertaken during the low tourist season, when the reduced number of visitors allows the work to be carried out more effectively and with minimal impact on ecosystems. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment will resume improvement works in environmentally significant coastal areas next October, launching a new campaign aimed at continuing the preservation of the archipelago’s most sensitive natural spaces.