The Municipal Government Board has been informed of the 2025 results, a year in which the Madrid City Council's facilities have solidified their position as a national and international benchmark in waste management. According to the deputy mayor and municipal spokesperson, Inma Sanz, separate collection and recycling targets have been surpassed, while landfill and incineration percentages have decreased.
The delegate for Urban Planning, Environment, and Mobility, Borja Carabante, detailed that in 2025, landfill targets set by European regulations and the Municipal Waste Strategy, which capped landfill at 40 percent, were met. Furthermore, a historic low in odor complaints and claims was recorded, a significant achievement for the community.
“"Achieves its objectives in 2025: Meets the EU landfill level, records the historical minimum of odor complaints (8 times less than in 2018), and executes the objectives of the first phase of the Technical Zero Landfill Plan."
Since the current government team took office at the Madrid City Council, the management of domestic and commercial waste has seen substantial improvement. In eight years, separate collection has risen from 20.6 percent in 2018 to 52.8 percent in 2025. Recycling has increased by 11 percentage points, reaching 39 percent, and landfill waste has been reduced from 48 percent to 40 percent. Incineration has also decreased, from 24 percent in 2018 to 20 percent in 2025.
These positive results are also reflected in the year-on-year comparison with 2024. Separate collection increased by 1.4 percent, recycling by two points, incineration decreased by one point, and landfill waste was reduced from 43 percent to 40 percent. With this balance, the Madrid City Council complies with the 2025 provisions of the Technical Zero Landfill Plan, part of the Strategy for the Prevention and Management of Domestic and Commercial Waste in the City of Madrid.
Another notable achievement is the drastic reduction in odor complaints, with 601 claims in 2025, a 33 percent decrease from 2024. Complaints from neighborhood associations dropped by 40 percent. This improvement is attributed to an 18 million euro investment over five years for odor minimization works and to the surveillance and control actions promoted by the Madrid City Council.
In 2025, Madrid generated 1.4 million tons of domestic and commercial waste, which has been transformed into resources thanks to circular economy initiatives. This includes 79,750 tons of secondary raw materials, 31,373 tons of fertilizers, and the generation of 228,471 MWh of electricity, enough to supply 71,397 homes. Additionally, 35,441,736 m3 of biomethane were produced, which could supply over 30,636 homes or 480 buses of the Municipal Transport Company, achieving a saving of 114,974 tons of equivalent CO2 emissions.
