June 29, 2026

APA encourages recycling excuses and sorting waste, even during the holidays.

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”. According to a press release, this summer campaign highlights the time of year when waste generation peaks, encouraging the Portuguese people to “recycle” their excuses and separate their trash.

According to the same source, July and August mark the most critical period for waste generation in Portugal. Against this backdrop, APA emphasizes the urgent need for proper waste separation—even during the holiday season—and promotes 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,” “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 biowaste. However, not all regions of the country have implemented 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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#Awareness #Campaign #Roadshow

June 29, 2026

In Portugal, each person produces more than half a ton of waste per year

The Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) has issued a warning regarding the waste generated in the country during the summer months, noting that 1.8 million tons of municipal waste are produced between June and September alone. APA points out that this rise in waste generation not only causes environmental problems but also places increased strain on collection and recycling systems—particularly on landfills. More than half of municipal waste still ends up in landfills, and the country is currently facing a structural crisis regarding these sites, as there is increasingly less space available for burying additional waste. At present, the average citizen in Portugal produces half a ton of waste per year (519 kilograms per person).

According to José Pimenta Machado, president of the Portuguese Environmental Agency, it is essential to boost recycling rates—which have stagnated at around 20%—and to reduce the burden on landfills. APA is specifically calling for the separation of organic waste, which accounts for a significant portion of the total waste ending up in landfills.

The Portuguese Environmental Agency is conducting a nationwide campaign under the slogan “Let’s separate the waste”. This message is being spread across the cities visited by the campaign to encourage the Portuguese people to generate less waste.

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July 9, 2026

Braga hosts APA campaign that challenges the public to recycle more during the summer.

From Friday to Sunday, Praça da República in Braga will host an awareness-raising event organized by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) focused on the proper sorting of urban waste, as part of the national campaign “Let’s separate the waste”. The initiative is part of a traveling roadshow visiting various districts across the country; it aims to raise awareness about the significant increase in waste generation during the summer and to promote more sustainable practices within communities.

In Braga, the event runs from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Friday, 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday, featuring various interactive activities for all ages. The traveling truck hosts waste-sorting quizzes, sustainable consumption simulators, material reuse workshops, and educational games, all designed to encourage active visitor participation. A key feature of the campaign is the “mural of excuses,” which displays common reasons people give for not sorting their waste, with the goal of encouraging a shift in behavior.

APA notes that summer is traditionally the peak period for urban waste generation in Portugal, emphasizing the importance of maintaining recycling habits even while on vacation or traveling. The campaign reinforces the message that waste production does not decrease during the summer season and that proper sorting is essential to ensure waste is correctly routed for recycling and to minimize environmental impact.

After its stop in Braga, the roadshow will continue to Castelo Branco, Évora, and Portimão through the end of July.

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#Awareness #Campaign #Roadshow

June 29, 2026

The Portuguese Environmental Agency’s campaign will be in Braga at Praça da República from July 3 to 5.

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

The next stop for APA’s summer awareness campaign is the city of Braga, at Praça da República, running from Friday (9:00 AM–6:00 PM) through Saturday (9:00 AM–8:00 PM) and Sunday (11:00 AM–6:00 PM). In the coming days, a traveling truck—or “Roadshow”—will invite the communities of Coimbra 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 separation, a sustainable consumption simulator that identifies consumer profiles, workshops for creating art from recycled materials, and various games for the whole family, among other activities. The “Roadshow” also features a mural that collects the excuses people give for not sorting their waste correctly at each stop—the “mural of excuses.” This thought-provoking mural aims to challenge the public to make fewer excuses and recycle more.

This new phase of APA’s “Let’s separate the waste” campaign draws attention to the time of year when urban waste generation sees its sharpest increase. Between June and September, over 1.8 million tons of urban waste were produced; in August alone, Portugal generated more than 480,000 tons. The summer campaign aims to highlight this peak period for waste generation, as July and August are the most critical months in Portugal, with August recording the highest volume of waste produced.

In this context, the APA highlights the urgent need for proper waste sorting during the summer holiday period, 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 should not be neglected, so as to reduce environmental impact.

“Contrary to common belief, summer is typically the period of highest waste generation in Portugal. This trend is expected to continue this year. However, it is important to emphasize that waste does not take a break or rest during the summer. With this initiative, we hope to engage communities in a problem that concerns everyone, from the Algarve to the Minho,” notes José Pimenta Machado, President of the APA.

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#Awareness #Campaign #Roadshow

June 26, 2026

Aveiro: Portuguese Environmental Agency presents campaign on waste separation.

The Portuguese Environmental Agency’s waste-sorting campaign is coming to Aveiro. It will be stationed at Praça Marquês de Pombal with a mobile unit that is touring six districts across the country. From Friday to Sunday, the traveling truck invites communities to reflect on the importance of sorting the waste they generate.

The “Let’s separate the waste” campaign highlights the need for proper urban waste sorting during the summer, a season that sees a significant spike in waste production. The next stop for the APA’s summer awareness campaign is the city of Aveiro—specifically Praça Marquês de Pombal—running from Friday (9:00 AM–6:00 PM) through Saturday (9:00 AM–8:00 PM) and Sunday (11:00 AM–6:00 PM), with doors opening at 10:00 AM. The roadshow’s sustainable trailer features a quiz to test public knowledge on proper waste sorting, a sustainable consumption simulator that identifies consumer profiles, workshops for creating art from recycled materials, and various games for the whole family, among other activities. The roadshow also includes an “excuse wall” that collects the reasons people give for not sorting their waste correctly at each stop.

Between June and September, over 1.8 million tons of urban waste were produced; in August alone, Portugal generated more than 480,000 tons. The summer campaign aims to raise awareness about this peak period for waste generation, as July and August represent the most critical months in Portugal, with August seeing the highest volume of waste produced. “Contrary to common belief, summer is typically the period of highest waste generation in Portugal. This trend is expected to continue this year. However, it is important to emphasize that waste does not take a break or rest during the summer. With this initiative, we hope to engage communities in a problem that concerns everyone, from the Algarve to the Minho,” notes José Pimenta Machado, APA’s President.

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#Awareness #Campaign #Roadshow

June 26, 2026

“Let’s separate the waste” campaign visits Aveiro

The Portuguese Environmental Agency is promoting an initiative aimed at raising awareness about the increase in waste during the summer and highlighting the importance of recycling.

The Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) is drawing attention to a fact that runs counter to common belief: Portugal generates the most urban waste during the summer, with August seeing the highest volume of trash produced in the country. To raise public awareness about the importance of proper waste sorting, the APA has launched a new phase of the “Let’s separate the waste” campaign, which will tour six Portuguese districts. The next stop is Aveiro, where the initiative will be set up at Praça Marquês de Pombal from today through Sunday. “The campaign will be driven by a traveling truck—a ‘roadshow’—aimed at engaging communities and encouraging more sustainable behaviors,” APA stated, also highlighting the wide range of activities offered as part of the campaign. “The site features various activities, including a waste-sorting quiz, a sustainable consumption simulator, workshops on creating art from recycled materials, and games for the whole family.” The campaign also includes the “Mural of Excuses,” an installation that compiles some of the reasons people give for not sorting their waste correctly. “The initiative aims to challenge citizens to make fewer excuses and recycle more,” the agency revealed.

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