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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#Awareness #Roadshow

July 20, 2026

APA roadshow on waste separation arrives in Portimão

The Portuguese Environmental Agency’s mobile truck concludes its summer tour dedicated to the proper sorting of urban waste in Portimão. The “Let’s separate the waste” campaign, promoted by the Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA), will visit the Portimão Marina from Friday, July 24, to Sunday, July 26, featuring an awareness-raising initiative on the proper sorting of urban waste.

Portimão will be the final stop of the roadshow, which has traveled through six districts across the country—starting in Braga—aiming to raise awareness about the increase in waste generation during the summer. The mobile truck will be at the Portimão Marina 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.

The initiative includes a questionnaire on proper waste sorting, a simulator designed to identify participants’ consumption profiles, art workshops using recycled materials, and family-oriented games. The roadshow also features the “excuses wall,” which compiles the reasons people give for not sorting their waste correctly.

According to the APA, the initiative seeks to encourage the adoption of recycling habits. The campaign highlights summer as the period when the highest volume of urban waste is generated in Portugal. Data released by the agency shows that over 1.8 million tons of urban waste were produced between June and September—with more than 480,000 tons generated in August alone.

The APA therefore emphasizes the need to continue sorting waste during the holidays and to ensure it is sent for recycling in order to reduce environmental impact. “Contrary to common belief, summer is consistently the period with the highest waste generation in Portugal.” This year, this trend is expected to continue. However, it is important to emphasize that trash takes no breaks and does not rest during the summer.

“With this initiative, we hope to engage communities in a problem that belongs to everyone, from the Algarve to the Minho,” says José Pimenta Machado, president of the APA. Portimão marks the final stop of the roadshow’s summer tour, although the “Vamos Lixar o Lixo” campaign will continue until the end of 2026.

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#Awareness #Roadshow #Summer

July 20, 2026

Portimão hosts the “Let’s separate the waste” campaign

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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#Awareness #Roadshow #Summer

July 20, 2026

APA’s mobile unit raises awareness in Portimão about waste separation

Portimão is the final stop of the “Roadshow” that traveled through six districts to raise public awareness about recycling during the summer.

From Friday to Sunday, the Portimão Marina hosts the final stop of the “Roadshow” organized by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) to raise awareness about the proper sorting of urban waste. The initiative traveled through six districts—from Braga to Portimão—and is part of the “Let’s separate the waste” campaign, which aims to highlight the increase in waste generation during the summer and the need to maintain recycling habits while on vacation.

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. The APA explains that the initiative invites Algarve communities to reflect on the importance of correctly sorting household waste. The sustainable trailer features a quiz to test participants’ knowledge of waste sorting and a sustainable consumption simulator that identifies different consumer profiles.

The program also includes workshops for creating art from recycled materials, family-friendly games, and other environmental information and awareness activities. The initiative features a mural that collects the reasons given by the public in each location for not sorting waste correctly. According to the APA, this “mural of excuses” seeks to challenge communities “to make fewer excuses and recycle more.”

This new phase of the “Let’s separate the waste” campaign focuses on the period when Portugal sees the greatest increase in urban waste generation. According to data released by the APA, over 1.8 million tons of urban waste were produced in the country between June and September 2025. In August alone, the volume exceeded 480,000 tons.

The agency identifies July and August as the most critical months, with August recording the highest volume of waste. Against this backdrop, the organization urges people to continue properly sorting their waste during the holidays—whether at home, while out and about, or during gatherings with family and friends. “Contrary to popular 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 waste generation 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,” states APA President José Pimenta Machado.

Although Portimão is the final stop for the “Roadshow,” the “Let’s separate the waste” campaign will continue through the end of 2026.

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#Awareness #Roadshow #Summer

July 18, 2026

Évora hosts a national awareness campaign on the value of biowaste

From July 17 to 19, Évora hosts the “Let’s separate the waste” national roadshow, an initiative dedicated to raising public awareness about the proper separation and recovery of biowaste.

The event takes place near Horta das Laranjeiras, at Rossio de S. Brás, and is promoted by the Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA), with support from the Environmental Fund and co-financing from European funds.

The project aims to bring the community closer to good environmental practices by encouraging the adoption of more sustainable daily habits—specifically through the proper separation and recovery of organic waste.

The initiative highlights the importance of separate biowaste collection, contributing to a reduction in the amount of waste sent to landfills and promoting more efficient resource management. During the roadshow’s stop in Évora, the public is invited to visit the site and learn more about the available solutions for participating in a more circular, eco-friendly economy.

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