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The problem of abandoned mattresses and old furniture piling up on the streets of Lorca is getting worse, with no signs of slowing down. Every day, workers with the municipal company Limusa are alerted to new mattresses dumped in public areas, often infested with bedbugs. Councillor for Urban Quality Juan Miguel Bayonas confirms the numbers are rising year on year, with nearly 7,100 mattresses discarded by residents in 2024 alone.

 

Removing and processing these bulky items is no easy task. The local waste treatment plant uses one of the most powerful shredders on the market, operated every few months to break down the mattresses so metal springs can be recovered and recycled. "It is a highly specialised machine that requires rigorous maintenance," warns plant manager Francisco Javier Martínez, "because textile and wire easily get tangled, and repairs are very expensive." This service alone costs the municipality €103,000 annually.

 

Furniture dumping is equally pressing. "At any time, all year round, we receive truckloads of furniture left on the streets," Martínez laments. Limusa offers a free collection service by prior appointment to help residents dispose of bulky waste, but with calls flooding in from all over the city, organising efficient collection routes is a constant challenge.

 

Lorca's Polcía Local have stepped up surveillance and are cracking down on illegal dumping with increased fines. In the first half of the year, 45 penalties were issued, but the council admits the issue persists. Bayonas announced that by early next year, 15 video surveillance cameras will be installed in key problem areas including the neighbourhoods of Los Ángeles, San Cristóbal, the Old Town, and Purias. These cameras aim to monitor littering hotspots closely and help identify offenders for sanctioning.

 

Despite ongoing efforts and public awareness campaigns, the city continues to face a growing mountain of mattress and furniture waste. The challenge remains not just to clear what’s already been dumped but to stop the behaviour that causes it in the first place.

 

 

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