Speaking to journalists in Braga\u2014where he took part in an awareness-raising event for the \u201cLet\u2019s separate the waste” campaign\u2014Jos\u00e9 Pimenta Machado was blunt in his assessment of the country’s waste management performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jos\u00e9 Pimenta Machado, president of the Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA), lamented today that Portugal sends 50% of its waste to landfills and warned that “we need to pick up the pace and make changes,” as the goal is to reduce this figure to 10% by 2035.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking to journalists in Braga\u2014where he took part in an awareness-raising event for the \u201cLet\u2019s separate the waste” campaign\u2014Jos\u00e9 Pimenta Machado was blunt in his assessment of the country’s waste management performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The bad news is that, over the last seven years, our figures for separate waste collection have stagnated; they haven’t risen above 20%. We want to see a significant increase\u2014especially regarding biowaste (\u2026). And more than 50% of waste goes to landfills. It is no longer possible to build new landfills in Portugal. Therefore, the focus must be upstream\u2014on collection, prevention, and generating less waste. That is where our hope lies,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
APA’s president highlighted key national waste management targets to underscore the call for waste separation. Alongside the Secretary of State for the Environment, Jo\u00e3o Manuel Esteves, and the Mayor of Braga, Jo\u00e3o Rodrigues, he emphasized that this is a collective effort involving both central government authorities and local municipalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We have a target for 2035: we need to reach a 65% rate [for waste separation]. So, we have to move\u2014we have to pick up the pace. And, as I mentioned, we currently send over 50% of waste to landfills, a figure we must reduce to 10% by 2035. This is a major challenge for the country. We all have a role to play in this,” he stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The “Let\u2019s separate the waste” campaign is touring the country with a physical setup featuring exhibits, information, and games specifically designed for children and young people; it is also open to school visits, as highlighted by Jo\u00e3o Manuel Esteves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYoung people have a great advantage: they compel all of us to think. We have to do better; we have to sort our waste (\u2026). We want a circular economy\u2014one that makes use of exactly what we throw away, transforming it into value,\u201d said the official, emphasizing the importance of this campaign, which takes place in the summer because that is when the most waste is generated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is in the summer that we produce the most waste. It is during these four months\u2014from June to September\u2014that the country generates 40% of its total waste. Each of us produces half a ton of waste annually. That is 519 kilograms a year, or 1.4 kilograms a day. And within that 1.4 kilograms, bio-waste accounts for 40%,\u201d noted APA’s president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pimenta Machado added another appeal: \u201cThe best waste is the waste that isn’t produced in the first place\u2014hence our focus on prevention and our daily choices. We often end up burying valuable products; if you sort your waste, you can recover that value, create a new product, or even produce green gas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following its summer focus, the \u201cLet\u2019s separate the waste\u201d campaign will continue through the end of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The roadshow includes 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. It also features an \u201cmural of excuses\u201d displaying the reasons people often give for failing to sort their waste correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The APA\u2014a public institute within the State\u2019s indirect administration\u2014is the entity responsible for implementing environmental policies in Portugal, with a mandate covering monitoring, planning and evaluation, licensing, and enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n