The City Council of Santa Cruz has published the final approval of the new municipal ordinance on ‘Waste Management and Cleaning of Public Spaces’ in the BOC, which includes some substantial changes, one of the main being the ban on smoking on beaches in the municipality from January 16th.
This smoking ban is included in article 43, which refers to beaches and bathing areas, and states that "in order to avoid the presence of cigarette butts in the sand and the potential subsequent contamination of the coast, smoking is prohibited on beaches and bathing areas of the municipality, except in areas specially authorized and designated by the Council.
This article also establishes fines and sanctions for people who litter the sand or rocks and fail to use the bins provided in public spaces.
Regarding the bars and kiosks, the ordinance states: "those who own beach bars, kiosks, restaurants, and other hospitality outlets near the beaches or located inside them, must act responsibly and avoid creating scattered rubbish, and must have the necessary containers to cater for it."
FINES AND SANCTIONS:
The new rules prohibit the littering of public spaces in any way, including throwing away chewing gum, cigarette butts, or other tobacco, including leaving rubbish outside bins and can lead to fines ranging from 2,000 euros to 100,000 euros for individuals and businesses, an infraction that has been raised from being classed as minor to very serious.
