Azores recycled 82% of urban waste in 2025, landfill use hits record low

The Azores sent 82% of the 153,969 tonnes of urban waste produced in 2025 to recovery operations, cutting landfill deposition to just 18%, a record low, according to the regional government's Annual Urban Waste Report. Waste generation rose only 0.4% from 2024. The result beat the 30% intermediate landfill target for 2025, helped by the São Miguel energy recovery plant, still not at full capacity. Selective packaging collection also hit a record of 88.9 kg per inhabitant. However, the reuse and recycling rate reached only 49%, still below the 55% EU target, held back by Terceira island's 22% rate.