Every year July and August are the most critical months for waste generation in Portugal. Hot weather travel tourism and changes in daily routines cause the volume of waste produced to spike—while simultaneously weakening the habit of sorting waste for recycling. Faced with this scenario—and with the country missing European packaging recycling targets for the second consecutive year—the entities managing Portugal’s waste system have been ramping up campaigns investments and new mechanisms to reverse this trend.

Portuguese Environmental Agency: recycling excuses first

The Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) has launched the third phase of the “Let’s separate the waste” campaign focusing specifically on the time of year when waste generation peaks. Under the slogan “recycle your excuses,” the initiative challenges the Portuguese people to abandon common justifications used during the holidays—such as “it all goes to the same place,” “the bin is too far away,” or “I don’t want the hassle while on vacation”—and to keep sorting their waste even when outside their usual routine.

The campaign developed by the agency Nossa and promoted by Nova Expressão across television radio digital media print and billboards also includes an 18-day nationwide roadshow. This features a mural displaying the most common excuses citizens give for not sorting their waste correctly. The APA also takes this opportunity to remind the public that in areas where separate bio-waste collection has not yet been implemented citizens should contact their local municipality directly. The initiative runs until the end of 2026 with updates available on the campaign website.

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Nossa is behind the Portuguese Environmental Agency’s (APA) omnichannel summer awareness campaign, which encourages people to sort their waste while on vacation. Featured across television, radio, digital media, print, and outdoor advertising, the ads are part of a media plan developed by Nova Expressão.

“During the holidays, it’s common to hear excuses like ‘It all goes to the same place anyway,’ ‘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 overcome, inviting the Portuguese people to leave excuses behind and adopt more responsible habits,” the APA explains in a press release.

The third phase of the ‘Let’s separate the waste” awareness campaign—which features a dedicated website and will run a new wave of activity through December—launches on June 29, just as many Portuguese people are heading off on vacation. The goal is to raise awareness about a problem that intensifies during the hottest months.

“July and August mark the peak period for waste generation in Portugal. Against this backdrop, the APA highlights the urgent need for proper waste sorting—even while on vacation—by promoting responsible behaviors that ensure waste is correctly routed for recycling,” the document states.

The campaign, with PR handled by Corpcom, is being amplified through an awareness initiative touring Portugal over 18 days; this traveling roadshow challenges communities to reflect on the importance of waste sorting.

The initiative includes a display featuring the most common excuses citizens give for not properly sorting their waste; it can be viewed from July 3 to 5 at Praça da República in Braga. Like the campaign itself, the APA roadshow aims to encourage the Portuguese population to make fewer excuses and recycle more.

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The Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) has launched the third phase of its waste-related communication, awareness, and information campaign, “Let’s separate the waste”, this time focusing on the summer—the time of year when waste generation in Portugal sees the sharpest increase.

The new campaign highlights July and August as the most critical months for waste generation and encourages the Portuguese people to continue sorting waste for recycling while on vacation. Centered on the concept “Start by recycling your excuses,” the campaign—developed by the agency NOSSA—challenges citizens to move past common arguments used to avoid proper waste sorting, such as “it all goes to the same place,” “the bin is too far away,” or “I don’t want the hassle while on vacation.”

Through this initiative, APA aims to raise public awareness about the importance of adopting more responsible behaviors during the summer, ensuring that waste is properly routed for recycling. The previous phase of the campaign highlighted the impact of improper waste sorting on landfill capacity in Portugal, with a specific focus on separating bio-waste. However, APA notes that not all regions have implemented bio-waste collection systems and encourages citizens to contact the relevant authorities. “If your area doesn’t have a bio-waste bin, talk to your municipality,” the campaign advises.

The campaign’s message is being disseminated by the agency Nova Expressão across television, radio, digital media, print, and billboards.

In parallel, APA is running a traveling roadshow that will tour Portugal over 18 days, inviting communities to reflect on the importance of waste sorting. Planned activities include a mural displaying the most common excuses for not sorting waste correctly, challenging the public to make fewer excuses and recycle more.

The “Let’s separate the waste” campaign will run until the end of 2026.

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The Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) is launching the third phase of its waste-related communication, awareness, and information campaign—which is reaching millions of citizens—titled “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 trash.

July and August mark the peak period for waste generation in Portugal. Against this backdrop, APA emphasizes the urgent need for proper waste separation—even during the holiday season—by promoting responsible behaviors that ensure waste is correctly routed for recycling.

The awareness campaign, developed by the agency NOSSA, introduces a crucial step in the recycling process: challenging citizens to recycle their excuses first. During the holidays, it is common to hear excuses such as “it all goes to the same place anyway,” “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 overcome, inviting the Portuguese people to leave excuses behind and adopt more responsible habits. In short: Start by recycling your excuses.

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 bio-waste. However, not all regions of the country have implemented separate bio-waste collection, and information regarding waste collection and treatment is not always clearly communicated. Consequently, APA encourages citizens to contact the relevant 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 running an awareness-raising initiative that is touring Portugal over 18 days via a traveling roadshow, inviting communities to reflect on the importance of waste sorting. A highlight among the various activities is a mural directly linked to the campaign launched today: it features the most common excuses people give for not sorting their waste correctly and challenges the public to make fewer excuses and recycle more.

The “Let’s separate the waste” campaign runs until the end of 2026.

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