Environment

Porto breaks all recycling records in 2022

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Filipa Brito

Porto again exceeded all recycling targets in 2022 with each portuense (people from Porto) separating, on average, about 80 kg/inhabitant per year from packaging waste, a growth of 10 kg compared to 2021, and above the target of 60 kg/inhabitant per year. The rate of preparation for recycling also grew compared to 2021 (39.26%), reaching 42.2%.

Once again there is concern about the correct separation of waste, with separate collection increasing by around 5500 tonnes, which translates into an increase very close to 20% (18.04%). In turn, in the field of the three flows the increase was 15.5%, placing Porto in a prominent position.

It is important to highlight the route that the city has been taking in the area of organic waste, which currently represents more than 37% of the waste produced by families and, as such, its recovery has a strong impact on the diversion of waste that would otherwise be sent to the undifferentiated.

In this context, the selective collection of organics grew 59%, an increase of 3200 tons compared to 2021. For home users, these represent an average of more than 120 tons/month collected by the more than 32 thousand families involved. It should be noted that, in general, in this sector alone, combining the door-to-door and organic proximity system, more than 1450 tons were collected in 2022.

By the end of 2023, full coverage of the city is expected, reinforcing the Municipality's commitment to the recovery of this waste in 100% natural compost, applied in soil enrichment.

The results achieved in 2022, just five years after Porto Ambiente took over the waste management operation in the city, are intrinsically linked to the municipal company's strategy of privileging the awareness and greater information of citizens, establishments and commercial institutions, and betting on strict planning, with reinforcement of selective deposition equipment and elimination of exclusive deposition points for undifferentiated.

A strategy that has been showing some results, with Porto belonging to the core of cities "Aterro 0", sending only 0.01% of the total waste produced to this destination. The correct routing and recovery of waste allowed us to avoid the emission of about 15 thousand tons of CO2 equivalent into the atmosphere, reinforcing the commitment to the city's carbon neutrality target for 2030, in line with the objectives of the Porto Climate Pact.