The Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) marked the start of summer with a communication and awareness-raising campaign highlighting the urgent need for proper urban waste sorting in Portugal, traveling through six districts across the country, from Braga to Portimão.

The final stop of APA’s summer awareness campaign is in the city of Portimão, at the Portimão Marina, running from Friday (9:00 AM – 6:00 PM) and Saturday (9:00 AM – 8:00 PM) through Sunday (11:00 AM – 6:00 PM). Over the coming days, a traveling “Roadshow” truck 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—at every stop—collects the excuses people give for not sorting their waste correctly: the “mural of excuses.” This thought-provoking mural aims to challenge the public to make fewer excuses and recycle more.

The latest phase of the APA’s “Let’s separate the waste” campaign highlights the time of year when urban waste generation sees the sharpest increase. Between June and September 2025, over 1.8 million tons of urban waste were produced; in August alone, Portugal generated more than 480,000 tons.

This summer campaign aims to raise awareness about the period of peak waste generation, as July and August mark the most critical months in Portugal—with August seeing the highest volume of waste produced. In this context, the APA emphasizes the urgent need for proper waste sorting during the summer holidays, 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 must not be neglected, so as to minimize environmental impact. “Contrary to popular belief, summer is consistently the period of highest waste generation in Portugal. This trend is expected to continue this year. However, it is important to stress that waste 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,” notes 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 through the end of 2026.

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