The second of seven centres that make up the regional waste processing system was opened this morning on the island of Graciosa at a ceremony presided over by Carlos César.

Being the result of a 5 million Euro investment, the Graciosa Waste Processing Centre follows a policy of waste management which is guided "by the new perspectives introduced by the recovery of waste - which have become the raw material of emerging industries that are growing in the Region. This policy is also guided by the resolution of some of the most serious environmental liabilities existing on our territory, which are waste dumps and landfills in poor operating conditions. "

Carlos César said that the conditions to deactivate these dumps  are being created in collaboration with local councils, which are legally accountable for the management of these structures.

Adapted to the characteristics of each island, "a regional waste management system has been established which requires the construction of infrastructures such as this one to process putrescible waste, through its stabilisation by composting. This structure was also important for the separation, packaging and shipping of waste for recovery outside the archipelago either for recycling or reuse or for energy recovery," explained the government official.

As he also said, "these structures follow a common pattern although there are significant differences on the islands of São Miguel and Terceira, where the quantities generated require local solutions for recovering non-recyclable or reusable waste."

On the other hand, processing centres, such as the opened today on Graciosa, and processed organic waste are now an important resource for horticulture, fruit growing and gardening, thus reducing the need for imported compost and fertilizers.

As Carlos César pointed out, "putrescible materials, which are polluting our landfills, will be transformed from polluting waste into resources with economic importance." The remaining waste will be exported, particularly to the islands of Terceira and S. Miguel, where it will be used for power generation at centres whose projects are being developed; the respective funding and operation models have been defined and ensured.

These exports will solve the accumulation of non-biodegradable waste on the islands and, simultaneously, create a business opportunity for reusing materials, which has already resulted in the creation of some jobs.
 
For the President of the Government, "selected fuel waste might have a significant calorific value that should be used for the for the benefit of our energy independence and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere."

The government official stressed that greenhouse gases produced by the decomposition of waste in landfills, particularly methane, have a potential to accelerate climate change that is far superior to that of carbon dioxide emitted by burning these materials. In this context, Carlos César says "this is a legitimate and environmentally friendly way of recovering waste that will bring positive gains to the environment, the economy and boost energy efficiency."

Therefore, the President of the Government defended the need to continue and conclude what he considers "to be one of the most important structural reforms in the environment."