Smart Waste Portugal

Smart Waste Portugal is a non-profit association established in May 2015 with the mission of promoting the circular economy across different value chains in Portugal. Headquartered at UPTEC in Porto, it brings together more than 150 members from industry, waste management, distribution, consultancy, universities and municipalities, creating a nationwide platform that treats waste as a resource rather than an end point. The association's work spans a wide range of sectors, including plastics, paper, glass, construction and food waste. Its core role is to build connections between the many stakeholders involved in the transition to a circular economy, promote good practices, stimulate new projects and facilitate the transfer of knowledge between companies and academic institutions. Smart Waste Portugal actively communicates the principles of the circular economy — eliminating waste and pollution at the design stage, keeping materials and products in circulation through reuse, repair and recovery, and regenerating natural capital — through initiatives such as its podcast series 'Vozes Circulares', public events, and engagement with young professionals through its Young Professionals programme. The organisation also comments publicly on European policy developments affecting packaging and waste, such as the PPWR regulation, and marks environmental awareness dates like Earth Overshoot Day to highlight the urgency of resource efficiency. Led by Executive Director Luísa Magalhães since September 2016, Smart Waste Portugal positions itself as a bridge-builder rather than a direct service provider, working daily to turn the urgency of environmental limits into real, collaborative circular solutions with businesses, public administration and universities throughout Portugal.