The final stop of the APA’s summer awareness campaign is at the Portimão Marina, 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).

The Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) kicked off the summer with a communication and awareness initiative highlighting the urgent need for proper urban waste sorting in Portugal, traveling across six districts from Braga to Portimão.

Over the coming days, a traveling truck—or “Roadshow”—will invite Algarve communities 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 of proper waste sorting, a sustainable consumption simulator that identifies consumer profiles, workshops for creating art from recycled materials, and various family-friendly games, among other activities.

The Roadshow also features a mural that collects the excuses people give for not sorting their waste correctly at each stop—the “mural of excuses.” This thought-provoking mural aims to challenge the public to make fewer excuses and recycle more. This latest phase of the APA’s “Let’s separate the waste” campaign draws attention to the time of year when urban waste generation spikes.

Between June and September, over 1.8 million tons of urban waste were produced; in August alone, Portugal generated more than 480,000 tons. The summer campaign aims to highlight this peak period for waste generation, as July and August are the most critical months in Portugal, with August seeing the highest volume of waste produced. In this context, the APA highlights the urgent need for proper waste sorting during the summer holiday period, encouraging responsible behaviors that ensure waste is correctly routed for recycling.

During this season, when families and friends gather—whether at home or while out and about—proper waste sorting should not be neglected, so as to minimize environmental impact.

“Contrary to common belief, summer is typically the period when the most waste is generated in Portugal. This trend is expected to continue this year. However, it is important to emphasize that trash does not take a break or rest during the summer. With this initiative, we hope to engage communities in a problem that affects everyone, from the Algarve to the Minho,” says José Pimenta Machado, President of the APA.

Portimão is the final stop of the roadshow, but the “Let’s separate the waste” campaign will continue until the end of 2026.

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