Call for action as partygoers leave behind piles of rubbish behind in Lanzarote
The environmental association Custodia del Territorio Papacría has publicly criticised the lack of measures to prevent waste during Lanzarote’s popular fiestas, warning that the problem is repeated year after year. In a statement, the group explained that since 2022, it has submitted several proposals to local councils, many of them prepared by young people on the island, but says these have been systematically ignored.
The ideas were developed through the educational project Basuraleza (The footprint of ignorance), which aims to tackle the problem of rubbish left behind at large-scale celebrations by promoting environmental education, awareness, and active community participation.
“These proposals came from students who experience the problem first-hand and who offered practical solutions to reduce waste and raise awareness,” Papacría said. “Ignoring their voices simply keeps the current model in place, where thousands of euros are spent on cleaning up after events rather than investing in education and prevention.”
Calls for prevention over clean-up
The association says requests to use fiesta budgets for prevention have been pushed to other departments, disconnecting the events from their environmental impact. “This approach ignores the root of the problem, the lack of prevention and environmental education, which could stop the same scenes of abandoned rubbish being repeated in streets, beaches, and protected natural areas every year,” the group argued.
Recent large-scale fiestas have once again highlighted the issue, with residents and visitors reporting piles of waste in public and natural spaces, as well as uncontrolled parking in protected areas.
Giving young people a voice
Papacría has called for local councils to listen to the ideas developed by young students, stressing that they provide “concrete and realistic” solutions to prevent pollution rather than reacting after damage is already done.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to environmental education and sustainable event management, urging municipal leaders to set aside specific funds within fiesta budgets for prevention measures. “Young people must be part of the solution,” Papacría said, “because they are the agents of change and environmental awareness that our communities need.”
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