Starting from today (January 6), Portugal will start imposing limits on the importation of overseas garbage.
Minister for the environment João Pedro Matos Fernandes has confirmed that the “principle of systematic objection” has been brought in due to increasing pressure on Portugal to accept foreign rubbish.
Last year, for example, the nation’s landfills were presented with “more than 250 tons” from other countries – at a time when landfills generally are struggling. This amount – though very small in relation to waste generated nationally – has leapt from just 65 tons in 2017, rising to 180 tons in 2018.
Said Matos Fernandes each request that comes in from another country will now be analysed on the basis of what Portugal’s capacity is to receive this kind of foreign waste matter.
Readers may recall the ‘stink’ generated by tons of allegedly toxic rubbish ‘imported’ from Italy back in 2016 (click here).
The new rules should ensure national docks are no longer clogged with waste that has no place here.
The move appears to have been kick-started by an incident in Valongo (Porto) where terrible smells emanating from the local landfill were attributed to “imported waste”.
Meantime, in the Algarve, Algar – the company responsible for dealing with urban waste – has announced that it will be declaring losses for 2019 in the region of €2 million.
Minority shareholders are the 16 borough councils, running from Vila Real de Santo António to Vila do Bispo.
Explain reports, the councils have decided that an independent audit needs to check Algar’s figures.
Algar complains that it is losing money because regulatory authority ERSAR hasn’t allowed it to increase its tariffs. But Olhão mayor António Pina – in his capacity as head of AMAL, the association of borough councils – is not so sure.
He told reporters that he finds it odd that while Algar was supported exclusively by public funds it made a profit, but the minute it took on private shareholders Mota-Engil and Urbaser it has started posting losses.
Says Correio da Manhã today, Pina “admits that a possible scenario in the future will see Algarve councils requesting that Algar be taken back into public ownership, which would imply the repurchase of the part currently owned by private entities”.
