Portugal wastes €25 million a year in nutrients sent to landfill

Environmental association ZERO warns that Portugal sends around €25 million worth of recoverable nutrients and organic matter to landfill and incineration each year, instead of returning them to the soil. This comes as the country remains heavily dependent on imported synthetic fertilisers, with prices pushed up by the US-Israel-Iran conflict disrupting supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz. Portugal imported roughly 700,000 tonnes of fertilisers in 2025, costing €335 million, 85% of it mineral or chemical. ZERO calls for closing the nutrient cycle, linking agriculture, food and waste management, as a matter of sovereignty, food security and circular economy.