Waste Disposal on Mallorca: Bins, Recycling, and Drop-Off Centers

Once you live on Mallorca or take over a finca, you quickly notice that waste disposal here works differently from what you may be used to. Instead of a bin in your own garden, there are shared containers on the street. Instead of scheduled bulky waste pickup, there is often a separate phone hotline. And instead of a recycling center on the edge of town, you have centrally organized Puntos Verdes. This guide gives you a full overview of bin colors, recycling routes, the drop-off centers in Palma, and the most common pitfalls for residents and vacation homeowners.

Waste Separation in Spain: Bin Colors at a Glance

Spain uses a nationwide color-coded system for waste containers. On Mallorca you will usually find these as large column-style containers (contenedores) at the corner of the street or in a row in each neighborhood. Most homes do not have individual pickup - you bring your waste to the nearest container yourself.

• Yellow: plastic packaging, metal, Tetrapak (similar to the German Gelber Sack)
• Blue: paper and cardboard, ideally folded or flattened
• Green with a glass symbol: glass only, without lids or corks
• Gray or dark green: residual waste - everything that does not belong in another container
• Brown: organic waste, now mandatory in most Mallorcan municipalities including Palma

Since the Spanish Waste Act Ley 7/2022, all municipalities were required to offer organic waste collection by end of 2024. On Mallorca the mandatory organic bin has been rolled out in most towns. As a resident who sorts correctly, you may benefit from a tiered reduction of the annual waste fee (tasa de basura) in some municipalities.

Punto Verde Mallorca and Drop-Off Centers in Palma

Bulky household waste, e-waste, hazardous materials, and construction debris do not belong in the street containers. For those, Mallorca has the Puntos Verdes (in Mallorquin: Deixalleries) - the Spanish equivalent of a recycling center, and generally free for residents of the relevant municipality.

In Palma, the city-owned utility EMAYA operates eight such facilities. The most central is the Punto Verde Son Pacs on Cami de Son Pacs; others are in Coll d'en Rabassa, Cas Capiscol, and Sant Jordi. As a private individual, you can drop off the following free of charge:

1. Small electrical appliances and old computers
2. Batteries and energy-saving bulbs
3. Furniture pieces, wood, and scrap metal in household quantities
4. Cooking oil in sealed bottles
5. Paint residue, varnishes, and solvents in their original packaging
6. Garden waste and green cuttings

Opening hours for Palma's Puntos Verdes are on the official website of the utility EMAYA Punts Verds. For municipalities outside Palma, the island administration maintains a directory of recycling points via the Deixalleries list of the Consell de Mallorca.

Bulky Waste Pickup on Mallorca: How the Collection Works

An old sofa, a mattress, or a broken fridge will not fit in a Punto Verde car trip, and they definitely do not belong in the street containers. The solution is the free bulky waste collection offered by the municipality - in Spanish recogida de muebles or recogida de enseres. Unlike in some countries, there are rarely fixed dates per street; you need to book a pickup yourself.

Here is how to book in Palma:

1. Call the EMAYA hotline at 900 720 720 or use the online form at emaya.es
2. State recogida de muebles a domicilio and provide your address, floor, and number of items
3. You will be given a pickup day, usually within a week
4. The evening before, put the furniture on the street between 8 pm and 10 pm where it is visible
5. EMAYA collects it during the night

In other municipalities like Calvia, Andratx, or Manacor the process is similar, handled by the local town hall. Important: simply leaving furniture next to a container is illegal. If caught, you risk a fine between 90 and 750 EUR depending on the municipality.

Hazardous Waste from a Finca: Construction Debris, Tires, and Asbestos

If you renovate a finca on Mallorca or gut an old pool, you generate waste that neither the container system nor the Punto Verde will accept. Construction debris (escombros), old tires, and especially old asbestos-cement roofing sheets (eternit) require a licensed disposal company. On Mallorca, this is handled by the semi-public MAC Insular and private operators licensed by the island government.

Typical prices on Mallorca (as of 2026):

• Construction debris: around 35 to 50 EUR per ton; container rental from 120 EUR
• Old tires: 5 to 8 EUR per car tire
• Asbestos-cement: 250 to 400 EUR per container; mandatory registration with the Consell de Mallorca

Waste Fees on Mallorca: Who Pays How Much

The annual waste fee (tasa de residuos) is set individually by each municipality on Mallorca. It depends on the size of the property, the cadastral value, and sometimes the number of occupants. Typical figures for 2026:

• Palma: around 130 to 220 EUR per apartment per year
• Calvia, Andratx: 180 to 260 EUR for a mid-sized house
• Smaller villages like Sineu or Petra: often under 100 EUR

Payment is by direct debit from a Spanish account, or alternatively by transfer. If you manage a vacation home from outside Spain, it is worth asking your gestoria to keep an eye on the annual notice so you do not miss a payment and trigger a surcharge. Background on typical housing running costs is in our guide to types of housing areas on Mallorca and in our detailed article on waste separation and recycling on Mallorca. If you are not yet registered in a municipality and need proof of residency to access the collection services, our guide to empadronamiento walks you through the steps.

Summary: Plan Your Waste Disposal on Mallorca

Waste disposal on Mallorca is not complicated once you have settled into the routine - it just requires a few habits that work differently from back home. Sort consistently into yellow, blue, green, brown, and gray; use the nearest Punto Verde for e-waste and hazardous materials; and book bulky waste collection by phone before putting anything on the street. That keeps you fine-free, may save on waste fees, and does your neighborhood a favor.

If you have just moved to the island, our guide on waste separation and recycling is a good place to start. It includes a step-by-step walkthrough for your first weeks and a glossary of the Spanish waste terms you will encounter.