Portugal is not yet so well known for its waste-recycling prowess. The Ecoponto em Casa project set out to change this by introducing an innovative and user-friendly waste disposal system for the city of Maia's 135 000 residents. This has dramatically improved the face of waste collection in the municipality and can be used as an example for the rest of the country.
- 31 January 2014
Ecoponto em Casa is the biggest, most complex, innovative and sustainable project ever made in Portugal by a municipality, concerning urban waste management, and probably, one of the most effective examples of Cohesion Policy success.
Through the use of innovative technology and incentive-based invoicing, the project has been pivotal in increasing the amount of waste sent for recycling across the city. As a result, Maia's recycling industry has grown, strengthening its bio-economy. Better urban health and safety standards have also been recorded.
High-tech rubbish bins
Managed by local waste disposal company Maiambiente, the system uses wheeled bins for disposing of paper, packaging, glass, and other rubbish. In addition, each bin is equipped with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology that supports the identification and traceability of waste.
Tags attached to the bins allow operators to track the number of times a container is set out for collection. This simplifies billing and supports the introduction of the ‘pay as you throw’ or PAYT principle; a process that rewards households and businesses that separate their rubbish, and penalises those that don't.
Recycled waste rising steadily
The project has been a resounding success as is evidenced by its impressive results. Some 77 000 waste bins have been acquired for private use since the project began in 2010. In addition, 4 278 kg of waste was sent for recycling during the first quarter of 2013. This translates into a 56 % increase in the collection of packaging, while paper and glass removal has risen by 23 % and 29 % respectively. Overall, these figures represent a 33 % increase in recycled waste, compared to the first quarter of 2012.
Meanwhile, there has been a 10 % reduction in the amount of waste sent to landfill or incineration. All these results mean less pressure on natural resources, as well as cost savings.
As rubbish is stored inside the bins and collected with automatic lifters, less physical effort is demanded from operators. There is also less risk of waste spillage on public streets as the rubbish bags are stored inside the containers. Overall, plastic bag use has decreased in the municipality, which is good news for the environment.
Crucially, the collection frequency of non-recyclable waste has been reduced from three to two times per week, reducing costs fuel and labour costs. At the same time jobs are actually being created in the recycling sector, in stark contrast to today's tough economic climate, as recycling becomes more important and popular in the region.
Awareness of the Ecoponto em Casa initiative was raised via a combination of advertising, social media, direct mailing, and events. In fact, one such awareness-raising event featured hundreds of students participating in a ‘flash mob’.
ot only is the scheme the first door-to-door waste collection service in Portugal that covers an entire municipality; it is also unprecedented in that it collects paper, packaging, and glass separately. Another innovation in the project can be seen in the technology it uses; the RFID system is a first, as is the fact that the service will be taxed by a PAYT principle.
Ecoponto em Casa has taken great steps to reinforce the recycling industry in Maia, increasing waste to recycling, decreasing waste to landfill, and improving street cleaning. For the city's residents, it is also seen as a more hygienic, effective, and fair waste disposal system.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Ecoponto em Casa” is EUR 2 510 390 with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 1 537 121 through the ‘Norte’ Operational Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period.