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Municipal solid waste disposal in Portugal
Alexandre Magrinho1, Filipe Didelet, Viriato Semiao
1Mechanical Engineering Department, Escola Superior de Tecnologia de Setubal, Campus IPS, Estefanilha, Setubal, Portugal.
Waste Management (New York, N.Y.)
|May 23, 2006
Summary
Municipal solid waste (MSW) management in Portugal faces challenges, with 96% collected mixed and 68% landfilled. Improving separate collection and recycling is crucial for sustainable waste disposal.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Waste Management
Background:
- Municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal is a significant environmental issue in Portugal.
- Current MSW management follows principles of prevention, reuse, recovery, and the polluter-pay principle.
- Legislative trends and historical context inform current waste management practices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present and discuss municipal solid waste management in Portugal.
- To analyze the structure of MSW responsibility and management.
- To detail the current situation of MSW production, collection, recycling, treatment, and elimination.
Main Methods:
- The study is based on a national inquiry conducted in 2003.
- Data was collected from MSW management entities across Portuguese regions.
- Analysis includes waste generation rates, collection methods, and disposal routes.
Main Results:
- 96% of MSW was collected as mixed waste, with only 4% collected separately.
- Landfill remains the primary disposal method, accounting for 68% of MSW.
- Recycling and recovery efforts are limited, with 21% incinerated, 8% treated at organic recovery plants, and 3% sorted.
Conclusions:
- The current MSW management system in Portugal is heavily reliant on mixed waste collection and landfilling.
- There is a significant need to enhance separate collection and recycling infrastructure.
- Sustainable waste management requires a shift towards higher recovery and treatment rates.