Expatica news

Rubbish collections and ecopoints boosted for Algarve summer season

rubbishThe management of the regional waste company, Algar, says it has prepared a series of measures for the summer season during which the number of residents almost triples.

In a statement to the press, the company says it takes into account, “the high tourist turnout in the region” especially during the long school holidays, “since the population almost triples the total of residents in these periods, causing an increase in the production of waste.”

The goal is to “respond effectively to the high production of packaging that is expected” and to prepare the operational means that will be necessary in order to “improve the quality of the service made available to the population”.

To cope with the high growth of packaging waste in its facilities, Algar is taking on more people for the selective collection and sorting of waste.

The hiring of temporary labour, 11 drivers and 30 assistants, will bring the total to 60 teams; the acquisition of seven new vehicles to collect rubbish from ecopoints, the hiring of 24 temporary operators on a seasonal basis to sort rubbish; strengthening the collection from ecopoints between May and October, increasing the number of ecopoints by 350 to 3,900 are some of the measures announced by the company.

In addition to the ecopoints distributed, 13 ecocentres are available for the reception of large quantities of recyclable and larger packaging waste – three in Loulé, two in Albufeira and Portimão, one each in Alcoutim, Aljezur, Castro Marim, Lagos, Tavira and Vila do Bispo.

Algar also is counting on the collaboration of the region’s Councils to control the incorrect disposal of waste in these ecopoints and is hoping the public will stop parking next to ecopoints, which makes it impossible to empty them.