Total waste generation

The graph shows that waste production in Portugal increased in 2022 compared with 2010 due to an increase in the production of both municipal and non-municipal waste; non-municipal waste represents an average of 66% of the waste generated. Until 2012, municipal waste production decreased by 12%. It then increased by 13% until 2020, in line with the variation recorded in national gross domestic product. For non-municipal waste, the increase is mainly due to the waste collection and treatment sector, including the construction sector, which recorded an increase of 38%. The scrap trade represents 22% of national waste generation, and it should be noted that the waste sent to intermediate operations is counted in the production values, resulting in double counting. In 2020, a new legal regime was published, highlighting prevention policies and promoting waste reuse, the minimisation of hazardous waste production and the reduction of food waste. The new legal regime also establishes measures that aim to promote industrial symbiosis, encouraging the declassification of waste and thus contributing to the reduced production of waste.