The awareness-raising initiative features a traveling truck—a “Roadshow”—that invites communities to reflect on the importance of sorting the waste they generate. This latest phase of the “Let’s separate the waste” campaign highlights the need for proper urban waste sorting during the summer, a season that sees a significant spike in waste generation.





The Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) is marking the start of summer with a communication and awareness campaign—traveling across six districts from Braga to Portimão—to highlight the urgent need for proper urban waste sorting in Portugal.





The next stop for the APA’s summer awareness campaign is the city of Castelo Branco, at Largo da Devesa (near the Fonte Luminosa fountain), running from Friday (9:00 AM – 6:00 PM) through Saturday (9:00 AM – 8:00 PM) and Sunday (11:00 AM – 6:00 PM). In the coming days, the “Roadshow” truck will invite the community of Coimbra to reflect on the importance of sorting the waste generated in their homes.





The “Roadshow’s” sustainable trailer features a quiz testing the public’s knowledge on proper waste sorting, a sustainable consumption simulator that identifies consumer profiles, workshops for creating art from recycled materials, and various games for the whole family, among other activities. The “Roadshow” also features a mural—the “mural of excuses”—which collects the excuses people give for not sorting their waste correctly at each stop. This thought-provoking mural aims to challenge the public to make fewer excuses and recycle more.





This new phase of the APA’s “Let’s separate the waste” campaign draws attention to the time of year when urban waste generation peaks. Between June and September, over 18 million tons of urban waste were produced, with Portugal generating more than 480,000 tons in August alone. The summer campaign aims to raise awareness about the time of year when the greatest increase in waste generation occurs, as July and August represent the most critical period in Portugal, with August seeing the highest volume of waste produced.





Against this backdrop, the APA highlights the urgent need for proper waste sorting during the summer holidays, encouraging responsible behaviors that ensure waste is correctly routed for recycling. During this seasonal period, when families and friends gather at home or while out and about, proper waste sorting must not be neglected, in order to minimize environmental impact.





“Contrary to popular belief, summer is typically the period with the highest waste generation in Portugal. This trend is expected to continue this year. However, it is important to emphasize that waste does not take a break or rest during the summer. With this initiative, we hope to engage communities in an issue that concerns everyone, from the Algarve to the Minho,” says José Pimenta Machado, President of the APA.





Upcoming stops for the “Roadshow”:
July 10–12 – Castelo Branco
July 17–19 – Évora
July 24–26 – Portimão





The “Let’s separate the waste” campaign runs until the end of 2026.





Source