Vasco Cordeiro opens Waste Processing Centre on São Jorge as part of the sustainable development strategy for the Azores
The President of the Government opened the São Jorge Waste Processing Centre. The six-million investment will minimise the environmental impact of waste on the island, contribute to its recovery and create six direct and permanent jobs.
"The integrated management of waste is one of the main pillars of the Region's sustainable development strategy as well as of the public environmental policies that have been implemented in the Azores. In this regard, the Strategic Waste Management Plan of the Azores is a document that embodies this goal," said Vasco Cordeiro.
The President of the Government stressed that several investments have been made on all islands - some have already been concluded while others are currently ongoing - with the aim of providing the Region with technological and effective waste management solutions, which includes the sorting of waste for recycling and recovery by composting.
"In this context, the Regional Government has built waste processing infrastructures on seven islands, especially on the least populated. They represent a global investment over 40 million Euros," Vasco Cordeiro said, stressing that the figures already include the São Jorge Waste Processing Centre.
Speaking on the second day of the Government's statutory visit to São Jorge on Wednesday, Vasco Cordeiro said it is extremely important that the Azores, as an island and outermost region, may find a solution for the final destination of waste that has to be eliminated. This solution should be suited to the regional reality and safeguard the existing constraints in compliance with the legal framework in force and the stipulated goals.
"Landfills cannot not be the solution due to the obvious incompatibility with the quality of the environment and of life that we want to build and preserve the Azores", defended Vasco Cordeiro.
In this context, the government official defended the concept of "shared responsibility," which requires a strong collective commitment to the successful implementation of public policies.
"Everyone must play their part to ensure that the effectiveness of solutions: from more sustainable consumption practices to logistics, waste collection systems, recovery and recycling, energy recovery or disposal in landfill," said the President of the Government.
In his speech, the President of the Government challenged São Jorge municipalities to adapt their waste collection systems to this new reality, thus promoting the integration of selective and undifferentiated collection and the eventual sharing of equipment and services.
"I restate the Government's availability to support municipalities in this process, particularly in raising the awareness of citizens," said Vasco Cordeiro. According to him, the adequate promotion of waste by strongly investing in its recovery is also a way of contributing to the European targets for waste recovery.
"This is, indeed, the path that will help us reaching 50% of the target towards the preparation for the re-usage and recycling of urban waste, including paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, metal, wood and biodegradable waste. In 2013, the Region already reached 22%," said Vasco Cordeiro.