Waste management in the Algarve is at risk of collapse, local environmental association Almargem has warned, criticising the continued expansion of landfill sites in the region and calling for urgent structural reforms.
On 29th January, Almargem held a public information and participation session in Cortelha, Loulé, focusing on the critical state of municipal solid waste management in the Algarve. At issue were the impacts on local communities, and the pressing need for a fundamental shift in waste collection, treatment and disposal policies.
The initiative took place within the framework of the Public Consultation on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) overseeing the expansion of a new sanitary landfill, open until 4th February.
In a statement released today, the Loulé-based environmental organisation argues that “no number of landfills or extensions will ever be enough unless the models for the collection, disposal and treatment of municipal solid waste in the Algarve are radically changed”, placing direct responsibility on the entities involved.
“The responsible bodies, ALGAR, AMAL and the local authorities, must, once and for all, wake up to the enormous environmental, social and public health problems they have (and that we all have) on their hands in the Algarve,” Almargem stresses.
The statement points to a system close to collapse. According to the association, “the populations living in the vicinity of landfill sites are the most affected”, describing communities as “desperate, exhausted and deeply disillusioned”, not only because of daily pollution but also due to the “systematic failure to fulfil promises made by the responsible entities”.
Among the impacts reported during the session were the constant circulation of heavy vehicles through the small village of Cortelha, pollution of waterways, intense and persistent odours, and the dispersal of plastics and paper over several kilometres of countryside. “The scene is desolate,” the association states.
Almargem also warns of a growing loss of faith among residents in the effectiveness of voicing their concerns, acknowledging that “some no longer believe that taking part in this Public Consultation can change anything in the reality they face every day”, with some even considering resorting to “other, more drastic forms of struggle”.
The association believes that the problem has been identified for several years, as evidenced by complaints submitted in Brussels by similar organisations and by sustained media coverage. According to the statement, “clearly illegal and unacceptable” practices persist, including the “continuous disposal of organic waste in landfill without prior sorting”, the “ineffective or non-existent operation of waste compaction”, and a landfill disposal rate in the Algarve of around “81.9%, far above the national average of approximately 54%”.
These figures, Almargem argues, place the region in breach of the commitments undertaken by Portugal to the European Union. “There is no shortage of legislation. There is no shortage of studies. There is no shortage of financial resources, which, moreover, weigh heavily on the bills paid by Algarve residents. What is lacking is action. Vision. Political courage,” the association states.
In conclusion, Almargem’s board warns that “the Algarve cannot continue to promote itself as a region of tourism excellence while treating its waste with practices unworthy of a 21st-century European territory”.
Source: Barlavento
