The company ResiAçores – Gestão dos Resíduos dos Açores, which is charge of waste management in the two municipalities of Terceira Island, leads the waste management ranking at a national level.

This fact was confirmed today by a leader of the Ponto Verde society, who controls the 34 waste recovery systems throughout the national territory, during the opening of the waste management centre of ResiAçores.  

The ceremony was presided over by the Regional Secretary for the Environment and the Sea on behalf of the President of the Government.

Speaking at the occasion, Álamo Meneses expressed his satisfaction for the work developed by the company, for the installation “of the most modern unit of this kind in the Region” and stressed that “the issue of waste management is fundamental for the future of the Azores.”

Therefore, the Government has created the Strategic Plan for Waste Management in the Azores and has started to invest in infrastructures to recycle and remove all sorts of waste from the Cohesion Islands. Moreover, the waste that cannot be recycled will be recovered through composting. The plan estimates a total investment of nearly 120 million Euros over a decade.

This work is already being carried out with the construction of the waste centres on Graciosa and Flores, being the area to which the Government has allocated more funds under the Plan and Budget for 2010. With these projects, the Government intends to end the landfills on the less populated islands.

Álamo Meneses also announced that the Government is preparing an annual revision of the legal framework related to this issue and denounced “old bad habits” that perpetuate the existence of clandestine garbage dumps on every islands, a situation that “will be fought.”

The Regional Secretary reminded that the commitment of the Government, of local authorities and of companies is not enough to enhance the recovery of waste, thus “it is essential that each person should improve garbage separation at home.”

In addition to representing the environmental improvement of the archipelago, recycling and waste export boost the business opportunities and the creation of jobs, providing “an important contribution for the development of the Azores,” stressed Álamo Meneses.