Porto extends organic waste collection to 60% of the population

Today, International Earth Day, the campaign Porto Orgânico kicks off in the city of Porto with the outlining goal of extending the selective collection of organic waste in Porto housing areas. This programme incorporates approximately 60% of the city’s population, and the collection of circa 7 thousand tons/year of organic waste.

This collection will be implemented in Porto, in areas of high population density (up building), with the setting up of over 500 proximity bins, which offer access control by electronic identification card, alongside the distribution of over 60 thousand 7 litre capacity containers in the housing areas defined by the Project. Moreover, four natural gas driven cars were purchased to carry out this specific waste collection.

Collected waste is sent to organic valorisation, thus transforming into organic compound (Nutrimais), which is used as a natural fertilizer with various purposes, but mainly biological agriculture.

In line with its mission’s sustainability principles, Porto Ambiente ensured the financing of the implementation of such project through the Sustainability and Efficiency Operational Programme (POSEUR) and also through the “CityLoops” project, financed by H2020.

It is worth recalling that it’s been over a decade now that Porto promotes the selective collection of non-domestic food waste, namely in restaurants, cafés, canteens and hotels, which covers circa 1000 commercial establishments.

In 2018, Porto Ambiente, the municipal company in charge of waste collection and cleaning in the city of Porto, implemented the door-to-door selective collection, including food waste, in a housing area of the city that covers 2000 households.

The expansion of bio waste selective collection is a priority by the Municipality of Porto regarding urban waste management, which adds to the increased sustainability of the system, in line with Porto Circular 2030, with the city taking firm steps towards a more sustainable and ambitious city that fights climate change.

The implementation of this project involves an awareness and communication campaign in the Municipality which features a strong digital component and the collaboration of well-known personalities in the city, who have not hesitated to embrace this project.

+ Info at https://organico.portoambiente.pt/