The municipality of Porto achieved a “record recycling rate of 43%” in 2023, with each Porto resident separating 78 kilos of packaging waste that year, when more than 10,000 tons of organic waste were also collected.
“Porto exceeded all recycling targets in 2023, with each Porto resident separating, on average, around 78 kilos/inhabitant per year [per inhabitant per year] of packaging waste compared to the target of 60 kilos/inhabitant per year, which led to a recycling readiness rate of 43%, well above the 31% set as the national target,” the municipality said in a statement today.
According to the council, these figures prevented the emission of around 17,000 tons of CO2 equivalent into the atmosphere, putting “Porto at the forefront of the fight against climate change”.
According to the municipality, one of the determining factors for these results is the significant increase in selective collection, with 2,050 tons more collected, an increase of 5.8% compared to 2022.
“In fact, in the field of the three flows, growth was 6.9%, with emphasis on the 7,210 tons of glass collected, 4.6% more than in the previous year, contrary to the national downward trend,” he points out.
According to the information provided, the results for the collection of paper and packaging also showed increases of around 7% and 10%, respectively.
Porto City Council states that “the reorganization and reinforcement of the installation of selective waste disposal equipment was decisive for these historic figures, along with the elimination of exclusive points for undifferentiated waste”, pointing out that there are 1,300 ecopoints in the city.
The municipality stresses that these actions, along with raising awareness among residents, establishments and institutions, are part of Porto Ambiente’s strategy, distinguished for the second time with the ERSAR Award for Excellence in Urban Waste Management Services.
With regard to organic waste, more than 10,000 tons were collected in 2023, an increase of 5.7% compared to 2022, and with regard to domestic users alone, which includes the door-to-door system and the proximity system, more than 1,516 tons were collected.
The correct routing and recovery of waste has allowed Porto to remain a “Landfill 0” city, in line with the city’s carbon neutrality objectives by 2030, as advocated by the Porto Climate Pact, an initiative managed and operated by the municipal company Porto Ambiente.
