August 3, 2026

Portugal produces “1.8 million tons of waste” in the summer, putting pressure on landfills

The Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) warns of an increase in waste generation during the summer, noting that August is the month of greatest concern. Speaking to TSF, APA president José Pimenta Machado stated that “between June and September, the country generates 1.8 million tons of municipal solid waste,” with 480,000 tons produced in August alone.

This rise in waste generation can be attributed to growth in “tourism and the economy,” Machado points out. The agency is promoting the “Let’s separate the waste” campaign to raise public awareness about this issue, particularly regarding “biowaste.” “Bio-waste consists of food scraps, such as rice or potatoes,” which account for 40% of the waste produced.

Compounded by a lack of recycling, the accumulation of trash places immense pressure on the country’s 32 landfills. “Landfills are at 20% of their maximum capacity. They are nearing the end of their lifespan,” Machado warns, adding that Portugal has only “five or six years to change its behavior.”

This shift in habits involves generating “less waste” and sorting it, so that it can be “recovered and transformed into a resource.”

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#Awareness

August 3, 2026

Reduce and recycle. Portugal generates a mountain of 1800000 kilograms of waste in the summer

As August begins—the month when the highest volume of urban waste is generated in Portugal—the Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) highlights the need to produce less waste and to sort it correctly. After all, the best waste is the waste that is never produced. A new phase of the “Let’s separate the waste” campaign draws attention to the time of year when urban waste generation spikes.

“Between June and September, we produce about 1.8 million tonnes of urban waste [1,800,000 kilograms]—an impressive figure—with August being the month when we generate the most waste, around 480,000 tonnes,” explains José Pimenta Machado. That amounts to 480 million kilograms of trash.

The president of the Portuguese Environmental Agency therefore calls for waste prevention and proper sorting. “Prevention. That must be the top priority. Producing less waste. Whenever we go to the supermarket, we should avoid food waste, make more sustainable purchases, and reuse packaging—which is crucial,” he asserts. “Next, we must sort our waste, remembering that an item placed in the right bin turns into a resource.

This is essential for paper, glass, and plastics, and now for bio-waste—food scraps, which already account for about 38% to 40% of the urban waste we produce,” the APA president adds. “Anything we can do regarding biowaste is fundamental to improving our performance in separate waste collection,” emphasizes José Pimenta Machado.

As for the areas of the country that generate the most trash in August, “they are the areas with the most tourism, where we have the most visitors.” “That is good for the Portuguese economy, but it means more people generating waste,” he notes. “And so, it is in the areas with the most tourism—naturally the Algarve, but the entire coastal strip where we receive the most visitors—that we see higher levels of tourism and greater waste generation.”

José Pimenta Machado also notes that the country produces 5.5 million tons of waste annually, and that by 2025, “we will see a 1.3% increase in the waste burden”—meaning we will reach 5.6 million tons of municipal waste.

“We have to reverse this trend; therefore, a campaign is being launched this year with a fundamental appeal focused—I must insist—on prevention, followed by waste separation,” explains the president of the APA.

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#Campaign #Roadshow

July 21, 2026

The Environmental Agency will promote waste separation in the Algarve during the summer

This weekend, Portimão Marina will host the final leg of the Portuguese Environment Agency’s (APA) summer awareness tour, featuring an interactive campaign designed to encourage residents and visitors to correctly sort household waste during the busiest months of the year.

This initiative is part of the national “Let’s separate the waste” campaign, which aims to raise awareness about the environmental importance of recycling and responsible waste disposal. After visiting six districts across the country, the traveling exhibition concludes its summer tour in Portimão; it will be open on Friday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Saturday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

At the heart of the campaign is a mobile exhibition housed in a custom truck, offering visitors a range of interactive activities. These include a quiz testing knowledge on waste sorting, a simulator that assesses sustainable consumption habits, workshops for creating art from recycled materials, and games aimed at families and children. The traveling exhibition also features a thought-provoking installation known as the “mural of excuses,” which displays the most common reasons people give for not sorting their waste; the goal is to challenge visitors to rethink their habits and encourage participation in recycling.

The campaign focuses specifically on the summer period, when waste generation reaches its peak in Portugal. According to the APA, over 1.8 million tons of urban waste were generated between June and September 2025, with the month of August alone accounting for more than 480,000 tons.

The agency encourages families and tourists to continue separating recyclable materials even when away from their usual routines, emphasizing that increased consumption during the summer season should not lead to less effective recycling practices or greater environmental impacts.

José Pimenta, president of the APA, stated that, contrary to popular belief, summer is consistently the period when Portugal generates the highest volume of waste. “Trash doesn’t go on vacation during the summer,” he said, adding that the campaign aims to engage communities across the country in adopting more responsible waste management habits.

Stretching from Braga to Portimão, this marks the final stop of this year’s traveling exhibition, but the “Let’s separate the waste” campaign will continue through the end of 2026.

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#Campaign #Roadshow

July 20, 2026

APA launches campaign in Portimão to reduce waste during the summer

The Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) is holding the final leg of its awareness-raising roadshow on the importance of correctly sorting urban waste at the Portimão Marina, running from Friday through Sunday. This initiative is part of the “Let’s separate the waste” campaign and aims to engage local communities in promoting responsible behavior—especially during the summer, a season that sees a significant increase in waste generation in Portugal.

The roadshow—featuring a mobile unit—will be open on Friday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Saturday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. It offers various activities, such as a quiz to test knowledge on waste sorting, a sustainable consumption simulator, art workshops using recycled materials, and games for the whole family. Additionally, it features a mural displaying common excuses for not sorting waste correctly, challenging the public to cut down on justifications and increase recycling efforts.

According to APA, over 1.8 million tons of urban waste were produced in Portugal between June and September 2025, with August recording the highest volume—exceeding 480,000 tons. APA President José Pimenta Machado emphasizes that “contrary to popular belief, summer is consistently the period with the highest waste generation in Portugal. This trend is expected to continue this year. However, it is important to highlight that waste doesn’t 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 region.”

During the summer, as families and friends gather at home or go on outings, APA stresses the urgent need to maintain proper waste sorting to reduce environmental impact and ensure waste is correctly routed for recycling.

The “Let’s separate the waste” campaign will continue until the end of 2026, with information constantly updated on the initiative’s official website. The public is invited to participate in the Roadshow activities and to adopt responsible waste-sorting practices in their daily lives.

APA is a public institute responsible for implementing environmental policies in Portugal. Its remit includes monitoring, planning, assessment, licensing, and enforcement, and it operates across the entire mainland territory with a workforce of approximately 1,100 professionals and an accredited laboratory network.

#Campaign #Roadshow

July 20, 2026

APA campaign on waste separation reaches Portimão Marina

From Friday to Sunday, Portimão Marina hosts the final stop of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) “Roadshow,” an initiative aimed at raising public awareness about the proper sorting of urban waste during the summer. Part of the “Let’s separate the waste” campaign, the tour has visited six districts across the country—from Braga to Portimão—seeking to highlight the rise in waste generation during peak tourist months.

The mobile unit will be open to the public on Friday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Saturday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Inside the sustainable trailer, visitors can take a quiz on waste sorting, discover their profile via a sustainable consumption simulator, and attend art workshops using recycled materials. Games and other family-friendly activities are also planned. The initiative includes the “Mural of Excuses,” which compiles the reasons people commonly give for not sorting their waste correctly. The installation aims to challenge the public to “make fewer excuses and recycle more.”

According to data released by the APA, over 1.8 million tons of urban waste were generated in Portugal between June and September 2025. In August alone, the country exceeded 480,000 tons. The Agency identifies July and August as the most critical months due to increased consumption, tourism, and family gatherings.

The campaign therefore aims to remind people that waste sorting and recycling habits should be maintained even while on vacation. “Contrary to common belief, summer is consistently the period with the highest waste generation in Portugal,” states APA President José Pimenta Machado. The official warns that “trash takes no breaks or rest during the summer” and hopes the initiative will succeed in engaging communities in an issue he considers common to the entire country.

Although Portimão is the final stop of the “Roadshow,” the “Vamos Lixar o Lixo” campaign will continue until the end of 2026.

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#Campaign #Roadshow

July 20, 2026

APA campaign highlighting the urgent need for proper waste separation will be at the Portimão Marina

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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