The environmental association ZERO on Saturday called for investment in MBT (Mechanical-Biological Treatment) units for unsorted waste to increase recycling, welcoming what it believes to be the government’s reversal of the path toward more incineration.
Referring to the recent statements by the Minister for Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Machado, and by the president of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), José Pimenta Machado, ZERO states, in a press release, that it aligns with the diagnosis that “solutions such as incineration” have no European Union funding and “require many years of planning and construction,” as well as with the three priorities identified to reverse the course and grow recycling, but adds a fourth line: the investment in MBT.
For the association, in addition to “significantly increasing selective collection,” “strengthening the selective collection of biowaste,” and “mobilizing the population with consistent and repeated campaigns,” it is necessary to invest in MBT installation and upgrading “quickly and broadly” to “treat all unsorted waste.”
These units ensure “the recovery of recyclables still present and the stabilization of the organic fraction – essential to rapidly reduce pressure on landfills and avoid illegal situations.”
“Without combining these four priorities, Portugal risks failing European targets, worsening the landfill capacity crisis, and increasing costs for citizens and municipalities,” warns ZERO – Sustainable Earth System Association.
The appeal is addressed to the Government, the APA, the municipalities and Urban Waste Management Systems.
According to the note, the TERRA Plan – Efficient Transformation of Waste into Natural Resources, presented by the Government in March 2025, “envisages €1.5 billion for the construction of new incineration units (one in the Centro region and another in Alentejo and Algarve) and the expansion of Lipor and Valorsul’s units.”
