The Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) has launched the third phase of its communication campaign, “Let’s separate the waste”. This summer campaign highlights the time of year when waste generation spikes, encouraging the Portuguese people to “recycle” their excuses and separate their waste. “Start by recycling your excuses” is the call to action.

The awareness campaign, developed by the agency Nossa, introduces a new step in the recycling process: challenging citizens to recycle their excuses first. “During the holidays, it is common to hear excuses like: ‘it all goes to the same place,’ ‘the bin is too far away,’ or ‘I don’t want the hassle while on vacation.’ This is precisely the obstacle the campaign seeks to dismantle, inviting the Portuguese to leave excuses behind and adopt more responsible behaviors,” APA explains in a statement.

The previous phase of the campaign “demonstrated how the failure to properly separate waste is exhausting landfill capacity in Portugal, specifically highlighting the need to separate biowaste.” Despite this, not all regions of the country have implemented biowaste collection, and information regarding waste collection and treatment is not always clearly communicated. Consequently, the APA encourages citizens to contact the responsible authorities: “If your area doesn’t have a biowaste bin, speak to your municipality.”

The agency Nova Expressão is responsible for disseminating the message across various channels, with the summer campaign appearing on television, radio, digital media, in the press, and on billboards.

Alongside the campaign, APA is promoting an awareness initiative that is traveling across Portugal over 18 days via a mobile roadshow, inviting communities to reflect on the importance of waste separation.

The “Let’s separate the waste” campaign runs until the end of 2026 and was the result of one of the biggest advertising competitions of 2025.

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