The Regional Secretary for Energy, Environment and Tourism stated in Horta that the installation of eco-centres allows the improvement of waste storage as well as its disposal, thus facilitating its referral to the appropriate final destination.
 
Marta Guerreiro spoke at the signing ceremony of collaboration agreements with the parish councils of the Salão, Ribeirinha and Castelo Branco, Faial Island, for the installation of eco-centres.
 
"This will be another mechanism that will proceed with the storage of municipal and similar waste as well as with the delivery of different types of waste, in an organised and separate way, with a view to its referral to the appropriate final destination," said the government official.
 
In this partnership, the Government of the Azores will provide financial support amounting to 19 thousand Euros to each parish council.
 
In her speech, Marta Guerreiro pointed out that, "through the Strategic Plan for Waste Management of the Azores (PEGRA) and the Waste Management Strategic Plan of the Azores (PEPGRA), the Regional Government has moved forward with the projects for waste management infrastructures on smaller islands. They are key tools towards an increasingly consolidated strategy with regard to increasing waste concerns and their selective disposal on each island."
 
For the efficient management of waste, in addition to Waste Processing Centres, the Organic Composting Recovery Centres are also fundamental for the transformation of organic residues produced locally into compos. Transfer Stations are equally important as they refer waste to the appropriate destination after compaction and packaging in suitable watertight containers.
 
"On the island of Faial, the Waste Processing Centre, located in Fajã da Praia do Norte, has been in operation since February 2015. During its operation, there was a need to create temporary storage sites in some villages with the aim of optimising transportation to the Waste Processing Centre and reducing waste abandonment," said Marta Guerreiro.
 
The Regional Secretary also stressed that waste management on the island of Faial "has been experiencing a positive evolution regarding referral for recovery," adding that the recovery of waste "doubled" in 2016, compared to the data of the previous year.
 
In 2016, the island of Faial reached 40.3% regarding waste preparation for reuse and recycling, a percentage that was only at 17.4% in 2015.
 
For Marta Guerreiro, "these results reflect the prevention policies pursued by the Government of the Azores and reveal the effort of the municipality in waste management."