The Regional Government stressed today the excellent results achieved by waste management operators in 2011, particularly the significant increase in the rate of materials shipped for recycling. These results evidence the efforts undertaken by entities and citizens in the selection and collection of recyclables on a daily basis.
Urban packaging waste as well as plastic, metal, paper and glass materials collected by municipalities door-to-door and through waste collection points are properly separated, baled and shipped to recycling centres. With the commitment of citizens and companies that collaborated in the selective waste collection systems, nearly 9183.5 tonnes of packaging waste were recycled in the Azores in 2011. According to the Ponto Verde Society, the managing entity of the integrated packaging waste management system, 81% of packaging waste is composed of paper/cardboard and glass and the remaining 10% of plastic materials.
A total of 4809.1 tonnes of recycling packaging waste had already been shipped for recycling in the first seven months of 2012.
Recycling ensures the preservation of energy, natural and economic resources, being an important step towards the sustainable development of the archipelago, which is already a good example of good environmental practices.
The optimisation of resource use in several activity sectors in the archipelago, the assurance of an environmental level of excellence and the improvement of the quality of life of the Azorean population are main goals defined by the Government in Strategic Plan for Waste Management in the Azores (PEGRA).
In addition, the commitment to educational environmental awareness actions and campaigns, with the implementation of PRESAA, aims to provide all Azoreans with the tools to foster their environmental citizenship actively and promote the values of the "Green spirit" generation.
For further information on this subject consult the following address: http://residuos.sram.azores.gov.pt/ on the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and the Sea page.