You should dismantle the boxes, stack them and, if possible, tie them with string.

Paper coffee cups should be placed in the Blue Recycling Bin. Always empty them first so as not to dirty the paper/cardboard already inside the Blue Recycling Bin. Only paper cups for hot drinks can go in the Blue Recycling Bin. Cups for cold drinks, such as soft drinks, should be disposed of in the unsorted waste bin. Although they look the same, cups for hot drinks are only waterproofed on the inside, making it possible to recover some of the paper fibre. In the case of cold drinks, they are coated inside and out, so with current recycling technology it is not possible to recover them.

Whenever possible, flatten packaging to take up less space. Ensure that paper and cardboard are clean, free of grease and organic matter.

No, our company does not accept this type of waste because it is non-urban waste, for which we have no recovery/treatment solution, nor authorisation for its management or disposal in landfill. As an alternative, we suggest you contact a company that manages industrial waste landfills closest to your residence. You can also access the SILOGR platform to try to find authorised waste managers for the management of the LER code attributable to the waste indicated: https://silogr.apambiente.pt/pages/publico/index.php 

No! Cement or lime bags in paper/cardboard recycling can damage recycling equipment, as they contain residues that contaminate the final process. For this reason, cement or lime bag waste is not accepted at recycling bins or recycling centres. Cement and lime bags should be disposed of in regular rubbish bins.

Styrofoam is a type of plastic that can and should be placed in the yellow recycling bin, examples of which include boxes for electrical appliances or electronic equipment, food packaging, even if dirty, and large packaging (which can be broken up and placed in the recycling bin or delivered to recycling centres). Nowadays, there are also several types of packaging that look like polystyrene (but are not), such as food trays, but the good news is that this packaging can also be placed in the yellow recycling bin. If you have a large amount of polystyrene to dispose of, you can take it to the recycling centre free of charge.

Milk cartons, as well as other drinks with the same type of packaging, should be placed in the yellow recycling bin.

Remove the caps and flatten the packaging to reduce its volume. Replace the caps on plastic bottles and drink cartons to remove the air and prevent them from getting lost in the sorting process. If the packaging still contains product, simply drain it—there is no need to wash it.

Yes, grease on the glass does not prevent it from being recycled. You just need to make sure that the bottle is empty when you put it in the recycling bin. If your bottle has metal caps, remove them and put them in the yellow recycling bin.

Glass bottles, jars and containers should be placed in the green recycling bin. All other glass items, such as mirrors, broken glasses or porcelain, should be disposed of in the regular rubbish bin, as they have a different chemical composition that resists the high temperatures at which other glass melts.

No. Only packaging (containers that temporarily store products and are mainly used to group units of a product together in order to create better conditions for distribution, transport and storage) can be placed in recycling bins. Mirrors are not packaging. Furthermore, mirrors cannot be recycled due to their composition. In order for the mirror to reflect images, it is composed of a layer of chemical elements (such as silver, aluminium or tin) that are difficult to separate from the glass, which makes it impossible to recycle mirrors. Only glass packaging, e.g. bottles, jars and pots, should be placed in the green recycling bin. The composition of packaging glass is not the same as other types of glass and therefore does not melt at the same temperature. Crockery or window glass, if placed in the recycling bin, can render an entire batch of recycled glass unusable. For this reason, light bulbs, glass or crystal cups, mirrors, medicine bottles, Pyrex, ceramic plates/cups should not be placed in the green recycling bin, but in the ordinary rubbish bin, as there is currently no way to recycle them. For further clarification on this matter, we suggest you consult the regulatory authorities: Entidade Reguladora dos Serviços de Águas e Resíduos (ERSAR) and Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente.

You should contact your local council. You can also take it to one of the recycling centres run by the company that manages urban waste in your area of residence.

Large items that should not be placed in regular rubbish bins are considered bulky waste or monsters. Examples of these materials include mattresses, furniture, etc.

Electrical and electronic equipment can be delivered to recycling centres or special containers located mainly in shopping centre car parks, but also in electrical appliance shops or supermarkets. You should check in advance whether the shops in question accept these materials before transporting the equipment. In Portugal, there are management entities for this type of waste, where you can find more information: Electrão – Waste Management Association: www.electrao.pt, ERP - European Recycling Platform:  https://erp-recycling.org/pt-pt , WEEECYCLE: www.e-cycle.pt/

Yes, this waste is waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and is accepted at recycling centres and collection points. Alternatively, it can also be handed in at shops selling this type of equipment when purchasing new equipment.

Yes, we accept televisions, monitors and equipment with CRT screens and flat screens.

They can be delivered to the Electrão Points available in shopping centres or to the company that manages urban waste in your area of residence. Before transporting the material, you should confirm that the company accepts it.

Batteries can be placed in the Pilhão collection point found in some recycling bins or handed in at the shops where you purchased them. Some supermarkets also have containers for collecting this material.

You can deliver it to the collection points available in shopping centres or to the company that manages urban waste in your area of residence. You should check beforehand whether the company accepts the material before transporting it.

Electrão – Associação de Gestão de Resíduos, ERP Portugal - European Recycling Platform and WEEECYCLE are the entities that manage waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and collect these materials. Once collected, this waste is sent to treatment and recycling facilities. During these operations, hazardous components are removed and some materials are recycled, which may then be reused in the production of new equipment.

There are some brands on the market that accept your used mobile phones and accessories, which are then sent for recycling. You can also hand them in at recycling centres, or place them in collection points located in supermarkets or shops that sell this type of equipment.

You should contact your local council to arrange collection. If you have a way to transport the branches, you can deliver them free of charge to one of the recycling centres run by the company that manages urban waste in your area. However, if the quantity exceeds 2m3, you can contact Linha da Reciclagem, to expedite the request for delivery to the landfill with the company closest to your area of residence.

Branches should be tied with rope or appropriate string. All green waste that cannot be tied with rope or string, such as grass, hedge trimmings or other items, should be placed in plastic bags that are properly sealed to prevent them from scattering on the street. Once properly bagged, the material should be taken to the Ecocentro closest to your home that accepts this type of waste.

There are several hazardous waste management units in mainland Portugal. For the disposal of large quantities, there are two integrated centres for the recovery, valorisation and disposal of hazardous waste (CIRVER), CIRVER ECODEAL and CIRVER SISAV, which have been licensed under Decree-Law No. 3/2004 of 3 January. It should be noted that there are occasional campaigns to collect small quantities of hazardous waste at some Ecocentros.

Hazardous waste is mainly produced in the industrial sector, but also in healthcare, agriculture, commerce, services and our homes. The following are considered hazardous waste: lusalite, paints, thinners, glues, chemicals, asbestos/fibre cement, and any materials that are flammable, corrosive or reactive.

If the cans still contain paint, you should first try to reuse them or, alternatively, find an institution where you can donate them - try to find a charitable organisation in your area.

If you live in the area covered by Resulima or Valorminho, you can deliver hazardous waste to designated collection points. For more information on delivering hazardous waste, contact the Recycling Hotline.

If these options are not available, you should find a licensed hazardous waste operator who can receive these materials. Occasionally, there are campaigns in Portugal that allow small quantities of this type of waste to be collected by urban waste operators. If the cans are empty or contain residual paint, close them tightly and you can deposit them in the yellow recycling bin, or alternatively deliver them to our recycling centres.

Please note that we do not collect or receive construction and/or demolition waste – EGF and its concessionaires only deal with services related to municipal waste. We advise you to contact a licensed operator for the collection and treatment of industrial waste. For quantities up to 1 m3, and after assessment by the services, there are municipalities that provide a service for the collection and forwarding of waste for treatment – to find out if this applies to your case, you should contact your municipality.

We do not collect rubble. If the big bags belong to the municipality, they will collect them. If you have purchased the bags and have no way of transporting them to our facilities, you should contact a transport and waste management company.

Yes, provided that such packaging is free from contaminants such as paint or coatings that cannot be easily removed.

We do not collect this material, but you can deliver it to one of the Eco Centers available in your area of residence.

You cannot put this glass in the green recycling bin because the composition of window glass is not the same as that of glass packaging (bottles, jars and glass bottles) and therefore does not melt at the same temperature. If they are placed in the green recycling bin, they can cause manufacturing defects in glass objects and render an entire batch of recycled glass unusable. You should contact the APA - Portuguese Environment Agency to find out where to dispose of this waste.

Used cooking oil should be stored in a plastic container (bottles or jugs) once it has cooled down. When full, close the container to prevent spillage and place the bottle in one of the oil collection bins that many municipalities now provide at designated locations on public roads. Some supermarket chains also provide their customers with containers for depositing oil.

You should request the oil container from your local council, as they are the entity responsible for managing its placement.

Não, no oleão apenas deve ser depositado óleo alimentar de origem vegetal (azeite, óleos de conserva e quaisquer óleos de fritura). Nunca deve depositar óleos lubrificantes de motores (de origem mineral ou sintético) nos oleões.

Grease separators are watertight containers designed to collect and treat greasy wastewater from domestic or industrial use, originating from food handling.

The company must check on the APA platform silogr.apambiente.pt/ which company can collect and treat the waste. The LER code for edible oils and fats is 20 01 25.

You must deliver them to pharmacies so that they can be sent to VALORMED, ensuring that they are sent to a suitable final destination.

You should consult your local authority to check whether there is a municipal recycling centre, such as a mobile recycling centre, that accepts CDs, DVDs and cassettes. If you have large quantities, you can contact APA - Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente.

These materials can be delivered to recycling centres. If this is not possible, there are numerous companies on the market that will come to your location to collect used ink cartridges for recycling free of charge (depending on a minimum number) or at shops – just search online. Another alternative is to deliver them to most computer shops near your area of residence.

All our companies collect glass, paper/cardboard and plastic/metal/beverage packaging.

You should contact Linha da Reciclagem so that you can clarify your questions and send all the necessary information to the company that manages urban waste in your area of residence.

You should contact Linha da Reciclagem so that you can clarify your questions and send all the necessary information to the company that manages urban waste in your area of residence.

Coffee capsules should not be disposed of in any of the existing recycling bins (blue, green, yellow) as they have their own recycling circuit. They should be disposed of in specific recycling bins that some brands already have, whether they are their own brands or large commercial outlets. It is important to note that you should not remove the coffee grounds from the capsules. Always dispose of the capsule whole, with the grounds inside.

There is currently no collection and recycling solution for this type of waste, so it should be disposed of in the regular bin. In the case of pots and pans, as they are made of metal, you can take them to your nearest recycling centre. Some unsorted waste is sorted, while other waste is sent directly to landfill or energy recovery, depending on the municipal system in your area of residence. When you correctly separate waste for which there is a collection and recycling solution, you are contributing to sustainability and the circular economy, reintroducing materials and promoting the creation of quality products with less environmental impact.

An Ecocentro is a facility where citizens can dispose of large quantities of recyclable waste that cannot be placed in regular rubbish bins or recycling bins (because they would quickly become full). Various types of waste can be disposed of, including recyclables, bulky items, and green waste. You can find information about locations, opening hours, and contact details on EGF's website.

Clothing and other used items (such as shoes) are a type of material that, although they can have a second life – through “recycling” or reuse – cannot be delivered to the recycling bin. In some places, there are containers for this purpose, where clothing is delivered with the intention that it will be reused for the same purpose. Another possibility is to send used textiles to Ecocentros that accept them (the list of materials accepted at Ecocentros in your area should be consulted in advance). Alternatively, you can check whether used textiles are accepted by charitable institutions in your area of residence. You can also donate larger textiles (towels, sheets, etc.) to dog and cat shelters, which generally lack warm clothing for the animals. Another option is to offer your textiles to exchange and reuse groups on the Internet. In these groups, it is possible to reuse not only textiles, but practically all types of materials.

Although some recycling points are equipped with a container for returning batteries (red), it is not possible to place larger batteries in them. This type of material should be delivered to eco centers that are equipped to receive them. Before going to the eco center, find out what materials are accepted.

The plastic cigarette butts from heated tobacco cannot yet be recycled, and we are not yet aware of any projects for their reuse, so they should be disposed of in the regular rubbish bin.

Photographic negatives and film rolls are not recyclable – this material can be confused with X-rays, which are recycled to reuse the silver in their composition. In the case of negatives, these materials contain silver salt crystals in the middle of the plastic base, which prevents recycling.

There is a vast universe in the world of plastics, and not all of them can have the same fate. Recycling is always a better fate than any other treatment method, but non-packaging plastics are not always recyclable, either because of their characteristics or because of their condition (contaminated, dirty). When it comes to non-packaging plastics, which are used in industry or agriculture, it is crucial that our technical services carry out a preliminary analysis to assess whether they can be recycled. It is therefore very important that we receive as much information as possible about them and, if possible, photographs.

There are several ink cartridge recycling companies that make donations to social solidarity projects for each ink cartridge they recycle. You can ask the organisation you choose to deliver your ink cartridges about this.

First invented in 1870, straws have been in continuous and rampant use to this day, contributing to ocean pollution and decomposing into microplastics, a process that can take up to 400 years to complete, as they are made of LDPE (low-density polyethylene). Currently, it is not possible to recycle plastic straws, so they should be disposed of in the regular rubbish bin. The best option is, whenever possible, to choose a more sustainable solution, either by using straws made from reusable materials (stainless steel, bamboo, glass) or by using biodegradable materials such as cardboard, PLA (polylactic acid) or even edible straws (made from pasta and rice).

Oil filters retain many substances that are harmful to the environment. When disposed of incorrectly, their components can contaminate the soil and groundwater. These materials can be delivered to Vehicle Reception Centres, which are facilities where end-of-life vehicles can be delivered free of charge and remain there until they are transported to dismantling centres. At this stage, they will undergo decontamination and separation for recycling. Therefore, you should contact the operators of Vehicle Reception Centres or workshops in your area of residence. If the quantity is high or if you cannot find a solution for the reception of this material, you should contact APA - Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente.

No. Cigarette butts contain many contaminants that pollute water and soil. Improper disposal is a very serious source of pollution. Cigarette butts should always be placed in the regular rubbish bin. There are currently several pilot projects in our country, developed by different entities, which aim to divert cigarette butts from landfills and send them to a more appropriate destination, allowing them to be recycled. Find out about some of them here: http://missaobeatao.org/ www.ecoality.net/rede-biatak%c3%ad  Guimarães cria tijolos a partir de beatas de cigarros  

If the toys are in good condition, do not throw them away, donate them to friends or charities. But if they cannot be reused, the yellow recycling bin is not the right place for them. Although many toys are made of plastic, they also contain other materials, such as rubber, textiles or fibres. The yellow recycling bin is for plastic and metal packaging and drink cartons. Options for damaged toys include delivery to organisations that develop projects, such as the pilot project ‘Plastic Replay’, which aims to create the first network for the collection and sorting of damaged toys, with several collection points throughout the country. For more information, please visit: https://plasticreplay.pt/. If none of the options presented are valid where you are, the option is to place it in the ordinary rubbish bin.

These cards should not be placed in the recycling bin. Gift/loyalty cards can be handed in for recycling at a Caixa Geral de Depósitos branch, which has a specific project for recycling plastic cards, both bank and non-bank, with or without a chip. For more information about this initiative, which also benefits several institutions, follow this link: www.cgd.pt/Sustentabilidade/Pages/Sustentabilidade.aspx

Used syringes should NOT be placed in recycling bins or regular rubbish bins. In order to address the lack of solutions for the collection of waste produced by diabetic patients and anyone else who needs injectable medication (needles and syringes), the Portuguese Pharmacy Association (AFP) created the “Seringas só no Agulhão” (Syringes only in the needle container) project. As part of this project, pharmacies provide a container, called ‘Agulhão’ (Needle), where citizens can deposit their used syringes. The project is developed in partnership with Stericycle, a company specialising in hospital waste management, which collects the containers and treats the waste, thus responding to the lack of safe and environmentally friendly solutions for the collection of used syringes. With the launch of this project, the AFP wants to contribute to the implementation of safe solutions that improve citizens' lives and public health. Agulhão has already reached more than 400 pharmacies throughout the country. To find out where you can deliver this sharp material, click on https://afp.com.pt/agulhao-ja-chega-a-mais-de-180-farmacias/. In the case of clinics, nursing homes and other institutions where the use of syringes is part of regular practice, this hospital waste must be sent for recovery by an operator duly licensed for this purpose.

The most up-to-date information on tyre disposal can be found at www.valorpneu.pt. Please check the collection points located throughout mainland Portugal and the islands, which include some recycling centres and authorised locations. Alternatively, you can always consult private operators and garages near your area of residence. If you replace your tyres with new ones at a garage, the garage will take care of disposing of your used tyres appropriately.

If your X-rays are old, you should ask at a pharmacy or parapharmacy if they accept them and leave them there. Recycling X-rays prevents them from being disposed of in landfills, thus minimising environmental contamination and reducing harmful effects on the planet. Every year, AMI promotes X-ray collection campaigns in Portuguese pharmacies. Outside the campaign period, you can deliver them to the institution's headquarters or any of its branches.

The packaging and information leaflets (brochures) should be placed in the blue or yellow recycling bin, depending on whether they are paper and cardboard or plastic, respectively. Other waste (swabs, test cassettes, sample extraction tubes) should be placed in the plastic bag included in the kit and disposed of in the general waste bin.

Cannabis plant waste falls under the definition of waste set out in the RGGR (Annex I of Decree-Law No. 102-D/2020 of 10 December) and is therefore subject to all legal provisions relating to waste management, namely in terms of classification, transport and treatment. Cannabis waste is not considered hazardous waste, despite the fact that it may contain psychoactive substances, and it is therefore necessary to ensure that its management allows for traceability. Waste from the medicinal cannabis production chain (planting, production of extracts, formulations and medicines, and import, distribution and trade) falls under subchapter LER 02 01 – Waste from agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, forestry, hunting and fishing and in subchapter LER 07 05 – Waste from the manufacture, formulation, distribution and use (FFDU) of pharmaceutical products. The list of waste treatment operators can be consulted via the SILOGR platform – Waste Management Operations Licensing Information System, available on the APA website, which allows you to search for licensed waste treatment operators by LER code. EGF concessionaires do not receive waste from the medicinal cannabis production circuit. Source: Cannabis Waste Management, in the context of activities that produce cannabis for medicinal purposes, Technical Data Sheet, APA/INFARMED, November 2021