What to do with garden waste in Mallorca

Green waste goes to a municipal collection point, gets chipped and reused on site, or leaves with the company that produced it. Burning is restricted for much of the year and in many municipalities, so it is not the default it used to be. Two categories, palm material and suspected diseased wood, need handling separately.

Municipal collection points

Most municipalities run a punt verd or similar facility that takes garden waste from residents, sometimes with limits on quantity and a requirement to prove you live there. Opening hours and rules vary by town, so check with your ajuntament rather than assuming the arrangement you had at a previous address still applies.

Chipping on site

The best answer for most prunings. Chipped material goes straight back under the planting as mulch, which cuts evaporation from the soil by up to 70 per cent and saves you paying to remove something you then pay to replace with bought mulch. Most companies quoting maintenance can chip, though it is worth asking whether it is included or extra.

Why burning is a problem

Fire risk. Burning is restricted during the high-risk months and in various municipalities year round, and the rules change with conditions. Even where it is allowed there are usually requirements about timing, notification and supervision. For an ordinary garden it is rarely worth the paperwork.

The two exceptions

Palm material from a tree affected by the red palm weevil cannot go on a general pile, because it breeds the next generation, and disposal is regulated. Wood from a tree you suspect of carrying Xylella fastidiosa needs reporting rather than moving, since transporting host material is exactly how the bacterium travels. In both cases ask before you load a trailer.

The background is in the red palm weevil guide and Xylella fastidiosa and your garden. If clearance is bigger than a car boot, send the job through and vetted local companies will quote removal with the work.