Urban waste: Azores cut landfill share to 18% in 2025

The Azores sent 18% of the urban waste generated in 2025 to landfill, according to the Annual Urban Waste Report released by the Regional Directorate for Environment and Climate Action. The figure is below the interim 30% target set for that year in the Azores Strategic Plan for Waste Prevention and Management.

The Region generated 153,969 tonnes of urban waste in total, 0.4% more than in 2024. Most of that volume, 82%, was directed to recovery operations: 28% to material recovery, 29% to organic recovery and 25% to energy recovery.

The start of operations at São Miguel’s Energy Recovery Plant helped reduce reliance on landfill, although the facility has not yet reached full capacity. Packaging recovery also reached 21,480 tonnes, or 88.9 kilograms per resident, roughly 9% higher than in the previous year.

The regional rate for preparation for reuse and recycling rose from 48% to 49%. While the trend is positive, it remains below the 55% target set by European directives and the PEPGRA 20+ plan. On Terceira, where the rate reached 22%, projects involving the Regional Government, the municipalities of Angra do Heroísmo and Praia da Vitória, and TERAMB are intended to improve performance.

The figures point to meaningful progress in an island region where waste treatment and transport require tailored solutions on each island. Challenges remain in preventing waste generation and expanding separate bio-waste collection, which will become even more important from 2027 for meeting European recycling targets.