The municipal sanitation company of Córdoba, Sadeco, has everything ready to start a new collection campaign of the bitter orange in the city streetsThe operation will begin on January 16 and will continue for the next few weeks, with a large deployment of personnel and machinery to ensure safety and cleanliness on public roads.
The president of Sadeco, Isabel AlbasHe stressed that this action cannot be understood as a one-off seasonal task, but as an essential public service linked to road safety, hygiene, and the urban image of Córdoba. The abundance of orange trees In the Andalusian capital, it creates a very recognizable landscape, but it also requires meticulous planning to avoid slips, dirt, and other problems when the fruit falls to the ground.
Campaign launch and neighborhoods where it will begin
The collection operation will begin on January 16 and will begin operating in the neighborhoods of Cercadilla-Medina Azahara, Campo de la Verdad, Miraflores, Fray Albino and Sector SurIn various appearances, Albás has also mentioned areas such as Fence, Medina Azahara and the Field of Truth Among the first places where Sadeco teams will be seen working from early morning.
The municipal official recalled that Córdoba is a city recognizable for its orange treesan element that forms part of the local identity and urban appeal. However, the ripening of the bitter orange and its fall onto the road creates a very specific reality that must be managed rigorously: risk of falls, dirt and accumulation of organic waste on sidewalks and roads.
For this reason, the campaign is not limited to removing the fruit from the ground, but is conceived as a comprehensive cleaning intervention in each area where work is carried out. The intention is that, after the teams have passed through, the streets will be left in optimal condition, something that Sadeco has been reinforcing year after year through a combination of human resources and mechanical means.
The municipal company plans the schedule based on the ripening stage of the fruit in each area, so that action is taken when the bitter orange reaches the right point for its removal without excessively prolonging the exposure times of the fruit on the ground.
A "very important" deployment of personnel and machinery
To deal with the magnitude of urban trees in Córdoba, Sadeco has put together a broad and structured deviceThe campaign will feature 77 workers organized in six work teams, which will be distributed in three morning shifts and three afternoon shifts, with the aim of covering as many streets as possible in the shortest amount of time.
This human deployment will be accompanied by 11 sweepers, three trunk vibrators y eight auxiliary vehicleswho will be responsible for supporting the collection and subsequent cleanup efforts. As Albás explained, these are a "very important" devicedesigned not only to remove the fruit, but to leave the public road in good condition after each intervention, without orange remains or leaves that could cause slips or worsen the image of the city.
Mechanization is one of the keys to this operation. For several years, Sadeco has incorporated the use of mechanization into its work routine. trunk vibratorsThis technique is widely used in professional tree farming. This equipment allows the tree to be shaken and the fruit to fall in a controlled manner, achieving a yield much higher than exclusively manual harvesting.
The president of the municipal company has argued that these vibrators are safe, tested and respectful of the treesAs he explained, the system is designed not to damage the orange trees or their structure, and he was emphatic in stressing that mechanization has become established as a operational need in a city with so many trees and with a short timeframe to finish the campaign.
Currently, Córdoba has about 27.000 orange trees and other Citrus Spread across approximately 700 streets, which, in Albás's words, means "many orange trees and many streets" to tend to. This volume makes it essential to combine specialized personnel, efficient machinery, and detailed planning to prevent the oranges from accumulating on public roads.
Advance signage and the key role of citizen collaboration
Beyond the technical deployment, Sadeco has focused on the involvement of the residents of CórdobaThe president reiterated that the campaign can only function normally if citizens respect the signage and cooperate by removing their vehicles when asked.
The municipal company has already begun installing signs and notices in the affected streets, which indicate well in advance the specific day on which the orange harvest is scheduled. Albás has insisted that These signs are not merely indicative.but are essential to be able to work efficiently and without interruptions.
In addition to vertical signage, Sadeco will carry out door-to-door information campaigns in the various districts. These actions remind residents of the no parking The work will take place during specific time slots and details when and how it will be carried out on each street. The Local Police, for their part, will distribute information bulletins and assist in monitoring compliance with the restrictions.
Albás has expressly asked citizens to remove their vehicles on the indicated dates, stressing that it is a matter of a service that has an impact on the common good and not a gratuitous inconvenience. "It's not an unnecessary inconvenience, it's a service that benefits us all," he reiterated on several occasions, appealing to the shared commitment to maintain it. a clean, safe and well-maintained city.
Information about the areas, dates, and streets where work will be carried out will not only be delivered to homes, but will also be available for consultation. through Sadeco's official website and social media channelsThis way, any resident can check in advance when it's their neighborhood's turn and plan accordingly.
Destination of oranges and commitment to the circular economy
Another aspect that Sadeco wanted to highlight is the final destination of the harvested bitter orangesAll the fruit removed from the streets will be taken to the Juan Revilla Environmental Complex of Córdoba, where it will be used for the production of quality compost.
The municipal company expects that, as in previous campaigns, around 1.500 tons of bitter orangesThis volume will be managed applying criteria of circular economyso that what could be considered waste is transformed into a useful resource for the environment.
At the Juan Revilla complex, oranges are mixed and processed along with other organic waste to obtain compost that can be used as organic soil amendmentthus contributing to improved fertility and closing the organic matter cycle. Sadeco emphasizes that this is a clear example of sustainable management applied to a very specific need of the city.
Albás clarified that, for legal and food safety reasons, It is no longer permitted to use bitter oranges collected on public roads for the production of marmalade. or other products for consumption. In this regulatory context, composting is considered the most suitable option and, according to the president herself, allows for obtaining a result of "much higher quality" in terms of environmental impact and material utilization.
With this approach, Sadeco argues that the collection campaign not only has direct effects on cleanliness and safety, but also reduces environmental impactby preventing large quantities of fruit from ending up as unused waste and opting for a treatment that reintegrates them into the natural cycle.
The bitter orange harvesting campaign that Sadeco begins on January 16 in Córdoba is presented as a complex and coordinated deviceThis project brings together urban planning, human and technological resources, community collaboration, and sustainability criteria. The ultimate goal is for a landmark like the city's orange trees to continue to shine brightly, but without becoming a problem for safety, cleanliness, and the urban environment.
