Valorization of Biowaste in Guarda

The Municipality of Guarda faced a growing environmental and regulatory challenge: the need to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste sent to landfill and comply with national and EU circular economy targets. Biowaste accounted for a large share of mixed municipal waste, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and reducing recycling performance. Additionally, there was limited public awareness and participation in organic waste separation.

To address this, the municipality launched a strategy to implement a selective biowaste collection and recovery system, aiming to increase recycling rates, foster environmental responsibility and create infrastructure to enable future expansion. Co-financed by the ERDF under the POSEUR programme, the project directly supports the objectives of Portugal’s National Plan for Waste Management and EU climate and sustainability goals.

The strategy combined infrastructure investment, digital monitoring, and public engagement. It included the installation of 2,061 dedicated containers, including 977 x 120L bins for door-to-door collection in single-family homes; 984 x 10L bins for collective housing (to use inside each dwelling); and 100 x 770L proximity containers with electronic access control. It also included the acquisition of one electric light-duty vehicle and one heavy-duty truck for green waste; the purchase of a bio-shredder to support local composting; and awareness campaigns reaching over 27,000 residents through flyers, schools, digital platforms, and door-to-door visits.

The infrastructure enables the recovery of 4,303.56 tonnes of biowaste per year. The objectives were to promote biowaste separation at source, to enable local recovery and reduce emissions from landfill, to improve environmental education and citizen engagement, to prepare the municipality for future legal obligations and performance benchmarks. 

The strong points of the strategy include its integrated design (combining equipment, logistics and education), the use of electronic control to monitor participation, and its replicability in other territories. The phased rollout allowed progressive adaptation by citizens and technical teams.

The enabling conditions included access to EU funding, political support, and alignment with the municipal waste strategy. The municipality’s technical team, along with local services and parishes, ensured proximity to citizens throughout the process.

Challenges included adjusting the container typology to urban density and housing types, overcoming initial resistance to behaviour change, and ensuring the logistics of door-to-door collection in narrow or historical areas. These were mitigated through early communication, field support teams and continuous feedback loops with citizens.

The system enabled the recovery of 4,303.56 tonnes of biowaste per year, improving waste separation rates and reducing landfill disposal. Over 27,000 residents were reached through awareness actions. The project increased participation in selective collection and reduced improper disposal, aligning with national and EU environmental targets.

This strategy offers a transferable model for municipalities seeking to meet EU biowaste targets through source separation. It demonstrates how combining tailored container systems, electronic monitoring, and citizen engagement can ensure wide participation. The mixed approach (door-to-door and proximity collection) adapts to different housing types and urban densities. Recommendations: secure early political and financial support, involve citizens from the start, and ensure coordination with waste operators. The model is scalable and suitable for rural and semi-urban territories.

https://www.mun-guarda.pt/