Portugal set to miss EU glass recycling target as collection lags

Portugal will not reach the European target of recycling 65% of glass packaging this year, according to Ana Trigo Morais, chief executive of Sociedade Ponto Verde. She blames mainly a lack of investment in collection, and says hotels, restaurants and cafés need systems matched to the large volumes of glass they generate daily. She spoke during a visit to Ambilital in Santiago do Cacém, an inter-municipal waste operator serving seven Alentejo councils and some 136,000 people. Ambilital invested about €16.3 million between 2023 and 2025, plans €11.8 million this year, and aims by 2030 to send under 10% of urban waste to landfill.