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

The final stop will be at the Portimão Marina on Friday, July 24 (9:00 AM – 6:00 PM), Saturday, July 25 (9:00 AM – 8:00 PM), and Sunday, July 26 (11:00 AM – 6:00 PM). Using a traveling truck—or “Roadshow”—the agency invites communities to reflect on the importance of sorting the waste generated in their homes. The Roadshow 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 family-oriented games, among other activities.

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, with Portugal generating more than 480,000 tons in August alone.

“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 emphasize that trash 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,” says José Pimenta Machado, President of the APA.

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