The third phase of the ‘Let’s separate the waste” campaign, promoted by the Portuguese Environmental Agency, kicks off on the 19th in Coimbra with a roadshow that will also visit the cities of Aveiro, Braga, Castelo Branco, Évora, and Portimão. The campaign raises awareness about the excessive increase in waste generation during this time of year.

The Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) is launching the ‘Let’s separate the waste’ communication and awareness campaign. The project highlights the excessive rise in waste generation in Portugal during the summer and features a traveling truck—or roadshow—that will tour the country. The initiative begins on the 19th in Coimbra and will run until the end of the year.

The creative concept was developed by the agency Nossa, while Nova Expressão handled the initiative’s promotion. This marks the third phase of the campaign, which originally launched during the 2025 Christmas season, resumed in January, and is now returning for the summer.

“Summer is consistently the period with the highest waste generation in Portugal. This trend is expected to continue this year. With this initiative, we hope to engage communities in an issue that affects everyone, from the Algarve to the Minho region,” explains José Pimenta Machado, APA’s president, as quoted in a press release.

The campaign, which spans 18 days, will visit the cities of Coimbra, Aveiro, Braga, Castelo Branco, Évora, and Portimão. The roadshow trailer features a quiz testing the public’s knowledge of waste sorting, a sustainable consumption simulator that identifies consumer profiles, workshops for creating art from recycled materials, and games for the whole family, among other activities. The project also includes a mural that, at each stop, collects the excuses people give for not sorting their waste correctly.

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Summer remains the most critical period for urban waste generation in Portugal, with the hottest months seeing a significant surge in trash. This warning comes from the Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA), which fears a further worsening of the situation this year.

Recent data shows that over 1.8 million tons of urban waste were generated nationwide between June and September of last year. August alone accounted for approximately 480,000 tons, confirming the trend of it being the peak month for waste production.

This increase is directly linked to higher tourist numbers, the return of expatriates, and the rise in consumption typical of the holiday season—factors that place strain on waste collection and treatment systems.

APA warns that this scenario poses an added challenge for waste management, particularly in coastal areas and regions with high tourism demand, where waste generation spikes most sharply during the summer.

In addition to the pressure on municipal services, the agency highlights the environmental impacts associated with increased waste, urging the adoption of more sustainable habits—such as reducing the use of disposable items, properly sorting waste, and boosting recycling efforts.

As another peak season approaches, APA emphasizes the need to raise public awareness and implement effective measures to mitigate environmental impact, aiming to prevent this year’s figures from exceeding those recorded previously.

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The Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) has warned of the urgent need for proper waste sorting during the summer holidays—a time when the bulk of urban waste, totaling nearly two million tons, is generated.

To mark the start of summer, APA is touring six districts across the country with an information and awareness drive as part of the “Let’s separate the waste” campaign, which launched earlier this year. The initiative highlights that waste generation peaks during this season, with August being the worst month.

Last year, 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 APA explained in a statement. With July and August being the most critical months, this new phase of the campaign aims to emphasize the need for proper waste sorting—even while on vacation—and to promote responsible behavior.

During this seasonal period, when families and friends gather at home or go on outings, proper waste sorting must not be neglected, in order to reduce environmental impact,” the APA stressed in the statement.

The new phase of the “Let’s separate the waste” campaign features a mobile unit that serves as a hub for various initiatives, inviting communities to reflect on the importance of sorting waste.

“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 waste does not take a break or rest during the summer.” “With this initiative, we hope to engage communities in an issue that affects everyone, from the Algarve to the Minho,” stated APA’s president José Pimenta Machado, as quoted in the press release.

The tour includes a quiz to test the public’s knowledge of proper waste sorting, a sustainable consumption simulator that identifies consumer profiles, workshops for creating art from recycled materials, and games. It also features an “mural of excuses” displaying the reasons frequently given for not sorting waste correctly.

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

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The “Let’s separate the waste” campaign will tour six districts to raise public awareness about waste sorting. The Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) has highlighted the need to reinforce proper waste separation during the summer holidays, a period when urban waste generation increases in Portugal.

This alert comes at the start of summer as part of the “Let’s separate the waste” awareness campaign, which was launched earlier this year. The initiative will travel through six districts, conducting information activities aimed at the public during the time of year—particularly August—when waste generation peaks. According to the APA, over 1.8 million tons of urban waste were produced between June and September of last year. In August alone, Portugal generated more than 480,000 tons of waste.

As July and August are the most critical months, they mark a new phase of the campaign, which aims to highlight the importance of maintaining proper waste sorting during the holidays and to encourage more responsible behavior. “During this seasonal period, when families and friends gather—whether at home or while out and about—proper waste sorting should not be abandoned, so as to reduce environmental impact,” APA noted in its statement.

The new phase of the “Let’s separate the waste” campaign features a mobile unit that serves as a base for initiatives inviting communities to reflect on the importance of waste sorting.

“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,” said APA’s president José Pimenta Machado, as quoted in the statement.

The roadshow 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 games. It also includes an “mural of excuses” displaying the reasons often given for failing to sort waste correctly.

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

APA, a public institute within the State’s indirect administration, is the entity responsible for implementing environmental policies in Portugal, with a mandate covering monitoring, planning and assessment, licensing, and enforcement.

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The Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) is marking the start of summer with a communication, awareness-raising, and information campaign aimed at combating excessive waste generation in Portugal; the initiative will travel across six districts of the country, from Braga to Portimão.

Between June and September, over 1.8 million tons of municipal waste were generated, with Portugal producing more than 480,000 tons in August alone. The latest phase of the “Let’s separate the waste” campaign aims to raise awareness about the time of year when waste generation spikes, as July and August represent the most critical period in Portugal, with August seeing the highest volume of waste produced.

Against this backdrop, APA highlights the urgent need for proper waste sorting during the summer holiday season, encouraging responsible behaviors that ensure waste is correctly routed for recycling. During this seasonal period—when families and friends gather at home or while out and about—proper waste sorting must not be neglected, in order to minimize environmental impact.

APA’s summer awareness initiative features a traveling truck—a “roadshow”—that invites communities to reflect on the importance of waste sorting. The 18-day campaign will visit the cities of Coimbra, Aveiro, Braga, Castelo Branco, Évora, and Portimão.

“Contrary to popular belief, summer is consistently 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 an issue that concerns everyone, from the Algarve to the Minho region,” says José Pimenta Machado, APA’s president.

The sustainable “Roadshow” trailer 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 various games for the whole family, among other activities.

The roadshow also features a display—the “mural of excuses”—that collects the reasons people give for not sorting their waste correctly at each stop. This thought-provoking display aims to challenge the public to make fewer excuses and recycle more.

Roadshow stops:
June 19–21 – Coimbra (Praça da República)
June 26–28 – Aveiro
July 3–5 – Braga
July 10–12 – Castelo Branco
July 17–19 – Évora
July 24–26 – Portimão

The event takes place in all the listed cities on Friday (9:00 AM–6:00 PM), Saturday (9:00 AM–8:00 PM), and Sunday (11:00 AM–6:00 PM).

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

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