Faro, Portugal, Aug. 10, 2026 (Lusa) - The president of Portugal's Algarve Intermunicipal Community (AMAL) warned on Monday that the region must find solutions for waste disposal, otherwise, within seven years, the landfill sites will «run out of space and rubbish will end up on the streets».
«In seven years' time, if we do nothing, the Algarve's rubbish will be left on the streets,» António Pina told Lusa, arguing that alternatives for the disposal and treatment of urban waste produced in the region must be explored immediately.
He explained that the landfills currently available «have limited capacity and are expected to reach full capacity in around seven years», which means that municipalities must find a solution in advance.
«We need to start looking into possible solutions straight away,» he said, highlighting three options: the construction of new landfill sites, the transfer of waste to other regions or countries, or a focus on waste-to-enhancement schemes.
He acknowledged that there is still work to be done to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, but considered that this process will take time.
«In the Algarve, we are 50% above the national average for waste going to landfill,» he pointed out, attributing part of this difference to the region's high volume of tourists, which increases waste production.
According to António Pina, Algarve mayors «have been asking the ministry for the environment to proceed immediately with a study of the available alternatives», so that a decision can be taken in good time.
«We cannot be so irresponsible as to not start work straight away,» he said, arguing that «the region needs to know in good time what the solutions are and their possible locations.» He revealed that the ministry for the environment is preparing a study on solutions and sites, an analysis which is expected to cover various possibilities, including new landfill sites and waste-to-energy plants.
The European Union «is strongly opposed to new landfill sites», he noted, adding that waste-to-energy «is currently one of the options being analysed by Algarve municipalities».
He acknowledged, however, the opposition expressed by environmental organisations to incineration, arguing that these organisations should also put forward alternatives.
«We must listen to everyone and then make decisions,» he said, emphasising that the municipalities «are open to hearing proposals» that would address the problem of waste disposal capacity in the region.
Pina insisted that the responsibility for finding a solution lies with the current political leaders, who cannot wait until landfill sites reach full capacity before initiating the process.
«We cannot wait seven years to come up with a solution,» he emphasised, warning that «if a timely decision is not taken, the Algarve could find itself without the capacity to dispose of its waste.» AMAL therefore argues that the study of alternatives and their respective locations must proceed as a matter of urgency, enabling municipalities to prepare a response for the period when the current landfills reach their maximum capacity.
On Saturday, the minister for the environment indicated that the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) will proceed with a project to install a waste-to-energy plant in the region.
The current operational landfill sites in the Algarve, in Loulé and Portimão, only have the capacity to receive waste for a maximum of two years, she added, noting that the region – which produces the most waste per capita in the country, as tourists are not included in the averages – generates 400,000 tonnes of waste annually.
JPC/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
