Puerto Vallarta says garbage collection should return to normal within two days, but the promise comes after weeks of complaints from residents in several neighborhoods. The city says new workers and vehicles are being added after the municipality took direct control of the service. The next test is whether those changes bring steady routes, fewer piles of waste, and clearer expectations for households still adjusting to the new collection system.
Puerto Vallarta says trash pickup should return to normal
Puerto Vallarta officials say trash collection should return to normal within 48 hours after weeks of complaints about missed pickups, accumulated waste, odors, and pests in several neighborhoods.
The city said the service should be regularized after completing the hiring of new personnel and reinforcing its collection fleet. The commitment indicates that routes will be operating normally by Thursday, May 7.
The announcement follows a difficult transition in which the municipality took direct control of garbage collection after the departure of Red Ambiental, the private company that had operated the service under a concession.
For residents, the issue has been visible and practical. Bags left on sidewalks or near corners can quickly create odor, attract animals, and become a neighborhood sanitation concern. In a humid coastal city, delays can become noticeable within days.
What the city says it is adding
Municipal officials said 54 new workers will be added to the operation. The city also said it acquired four compacting garbage trucks and four pickup trucks using resources from the ZOFEMAT fund, which is tied to federal beach-zone administration.
The added vehicles are expected to support cleanup work across the city. Officials said the goal is to stabilize routes after a month of administrative and operational changes.
Rodolfo Domínguez, director of Servicios Eficientes, and Ascención Guerrero Barraza, subdirector of Puerto Limpio, were named as the officials responsible for moving the routes back toward normal service.
The city also asked residents to take out trash only during the collection hours assigned to their neighborhood. The request is meant to reduce the time bags remain in public areas before pickup.
The dispute behind the disruption
The service problems did not begin with a normal scheduling change. They followed the early end of Puerto Vallarta’s relationship with Red Ambiental.
The concession had been approved for a long-term period, but it lasted only about 15 months. The break came amid disagreement over unpaid bills, service expectations, and how the concession would be closed.
After the company’s exit, the municipality took over the collection, transportation, and final disposal of waste. That meant the city had to quickly rebuild its operations, including workers, routes, equipment, and budget planning.
This is important context for foreign residents who may not follow municipal administration closely. In Mexico, garbage collection is normally a municipal responsibility. A city can operate the service directly or use a concession, but City Hall remains the first public authority residents look to when pickups fail.
What residents have been reporting
Complaints have come from multiple areas of Puerto Vallarta, including neighborhoods where residents said trucks were not passing as expected. Some reported bags sitting for days, with odors and pests becoming the main concern.
The problem has been especially frustrating because residents were asked to adjust to new collection patterns after the municipal takeover. When a route changes, households need reliable schedules. Without that, trash often ends up outside too early or remains outside too long.
That creates a cycle. Missed pickups leave bags in the street, but bags placed outside the wrong schedule can also worsen the problem. The city’s latest message addresses both sides of that issue.
What to watch next
The 48-hour promise gives the city a short window to show visible improvement. The clearest sign will be whether delayed routes are collected and whether regular schedules hold for more than one pickup cycle.
Residents should also watch for clearer neighborhood schedules from the city. For many households, the problem is not only whether a truck comes. It is knowing when to put trash out without leaving it exposed for hours or days.
The longer-term test will be whether the municipal system can operate without returning to the same pattern of delays. That depends on staffing, truck maintenance, route planning, and the unresolved financial issues tied to the end of the Red Ambiental concession.
For now, Puerto Vallarta is asking residents to coordinate while it works to restore service. The coming days will show whether the additional workers and vehicles are enough to clear the backlog and restore regular pickup in affected neighborhoods.
