The Portuguese Environmental Agency launches an awareness campaign to promote recycling during the holiday months. “Summer is typically the period with the highest waste generation in Portugal.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the arrival of summer, we also enter the most critical time of the year for urban waste generation in Portugal. Between June and September of last year, over 1.8 million tons of waste were produced, according to data from the Portuguese Environmental (APA), which launched a new awareness campaign this Monday (June 15) to promote recycling during the holiday season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In August of last year alone, over 480,000 tons of urban waste were generated, making it the month with the highest volume of waste produced in the country. “Contrary to common belief, summer is typically the period of highest waste generation in Portugal. This year, that trend is expected to continue,” states APA’s president Jos\u00e9 Pimenta Machado, as quoted in a press release. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Given this situation, the agency highlights the need to maintain waste-sorting habits even during the holidays, when many families change their routines and spend more time traveling, at the beach, or socializing. “Waste doesn’t take a break or rest during the summer,” emphasizes Pimenta Machado. “With this initiative, we hope to engage communities in a problem that affects everyone, from the Algarve to the Minho region.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This initiative is part of the ongoing national campaign “Let\u2019s separate the waste” and will feature a “roadshow” traveling to six cities across the country over the course of 18 days. The goal is to raise public awareness about proper waste sorting and reducing the environmental impact associated with increased consumption during the warmer months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The traveling truck will visit Coimbra, Aveiro, Braga, Castelo Branco, \u00c9vora, and Portim\u00e3o, offering activities aimed at various audiences. These include educational games, workshops on reusing recycled materials, a sustainable consumption simulator, and a recycling quiz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the most visible initiatives will be the so-called \u201cmural of excuses,\u201d where participants can identify the most common reasons cited for not sorting waste correctly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
APA intends to use this exercise to challenge citizens to adopt more responsible behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRoadshow\u201d stops:
June 19\u201321 \u2013 Coimbra
June 26\u201328 \u2013 Aveiro
July 3\u20135 \u2013 Braga
July 10\u201312 \u2013 Castelo Branco
July 17\u201319 \u2013 \u00c9vora
July 24\u201326 \u2013 Portim\u00e3o<\/p>\n\n\n\n