Portimão’s municipal water and waste management company EMARP has launched a campaign encouraging residents with gardens or vegetable patches to join its domestic composting programme – complete with a free compost bin and technical guidance.
Every year, Portimão sends around 30,200 tonnes of mixed waste to its overloaded landfill – with 40% made up of food scraps. Through composting, EMARP hopes to slash that figure, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and transform organic waste into nutrient-rich compost for gardening and farming, helping make soils healthier and more fertile.
The initiative is part of Portimão’s sustainability and circular economy strategy, aligned with national goals set out in the PERSU 2030 and the National Strategy for Biowaste, “strengthening the city’s position as an environmentally responsible municipality,” EMARP says.
Participation is free, subject to availability, and includes personalised support from EMARP’s technical team. Residents can register via the EMARP website or in person at the company’s service desk.
EMARP says the project marks another step towards “building a more environmentally aware and participative community”, where “separating and reusing organic waste is a simple act that benefits both the environment and future generations.”
