The Isolated High-Level Depression (DANA) that struck Valencia in October 2024 caused an unprecedented accumulation of waste, including vehicles, natural waste, furniture, rubble, and personal belongings, all saturated with water and mud. From a logistical perspective, waste management is typically structured into two phases. In the first phase, authorities prioritised immediate waste removal to restore basic living conditions and facilitate the delivery of essential supplies and humanitarian aid. However, poor operational planning during this phase resulted in inefficient management. Waste was haphazardly stockpiled at makeshift collection points, with no initial sorting process and suboptimal use of logistical resources, complicating later waste treatment and disposal, exacerbating environmental, economic, and logistical challenges. The second phase, which focuses on managing accumulated waste, requires streamlined logistical strategies to ensure efficient sorting, transport, and processing. This study examines Valencia’s post-DANA waste management approach, comparing it with international best practices from similar disaster events. Key operational improvements identified include the optimisation of waste collection and transport routes, strategically deploying temporary storage sites to facilitate sorting and pre-treatment, and using predictive technologies to estimate waste volume and distribution. Furthermore, this research highlights the application of circular economy principles to maximise material recovery and reuse. The findings suggest that logistical optimisation measures in the initial debris clearance phase can significantly enhance the overall waste management process in post-disaster scenarios. This study provides key recommendations for improving waste management in future natural disasters, advocating for a more efficient, sustainable, and resilient logistical response.