Anyone who has ever wrestled a toddler’s sticky ice cream wrapper into an overflowing wasp riddled bin knows the struggle and Marbella Town Hall has heard.

Bigger bins, less mess

Council chiefs have begun a refit across Marbella’s parks, playgrounds and green spaces, with 149 new bins being rolled out to replace tired, overflowing containers that have seen better days.

Gone are the old 30-litre containers. In their place, workers are fitting 50-litre units, a jump of 66.7 per cent in capacity per bin. Once the full rollout is finished, the combined capacity across all 149 bins will reach 7,450 litres, according to figures released by Marbella council. Overall, swapping out the smaller bins for the larger ones will add 2,980 litres of extra capacity across the area, concentrated in spots where families, children and daily visitors gather in large numbers.

Seventeen parks first in line

The first phase covers 109 bins spread across 17 public parks, adding up to 5,450 litres in total. Parque de la Constitucion tops the list with 25 new bins, followed by Xarblanca with 15, El Capricho with 19 and La Represa with six. Playground areas at Rio Huelo, Albarizas, Antonio Lizarza, La Chumbera, Distrito 5, Maria Auxiliadora, plaza de la Concordia, Manuel de Falla, La Patera II, calle Vazquez Clavel and Los Naranjos de Marbella will also benefit. Parque del Calvario is included too.

A further 40 bins, worth another 2,000 litres, are being held back in reserve for future repairs or reinforcement work elsewhere in the town.

Recycled materials and easier emptying

Each new bin is built from recyclable materials and designed for straightforward emptying. Crews can mount them on a dedicated post or attach them to existing supports, giving flexibility depending on the location. Old bins won’t go to waste either. Once taken out of service, they’ll be handed to the Parks and Gardens department, which will assess whether they can be repaired and put back to use somewhere else in town, cutting down on unnecessary waste.

Marbella has renewed more than a thousand bins over the past four years, with 500 fitted in 2022, 250 in 2023, 100 in 2024 and roughly 200 more planned across 2025 and early 2026. Combined, that fleet now provides a total capacity of 119,000 litres for street cleaning across the town.

Councillor Lopez explained that the scheme has rolled out in stages under a 2022–2026 framework contract covering high-capacity, sealed-design bins, chosen for their durability and low maintenance needs. Sealed 120-litre containers already installed in higher-traffic areas will continue operating too, with each model matched to the needs of its particular location.

Residents are reminded that the new bins are strictly for small amounts of rubbish while using public spaces, not for household waste or bin bags.