ZERO warns landfill expansion may take banned organic waste

Environmental group ZERO issued a negative opinion on Biosmart's proposed expansion of the Castelo Branco non-hazardous waste landfill, arguing the new cell's environmental impact study lists organic waste types whose landfill deposition is legally banned. ZERO contrasts this with a CCDR Centro decision on a Leiria landfill, where such waste was refused authorisation, and asks that Castelo Branco's licence be withheld while organic materials remain on the list. It cites rules requiring pre-treatment and, from January 2026, a ban on biodegradable waste that stays biodegradable after treatment. ZERO also warns of methane, odours, disease-carrying animals and polluting leachate, urging composting or anaerobic digestion instead.