The Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) has launched the third moment of its communication campaign “Vamos Lixar o Lixo”. The summer campaign draws attention to the time of year when waste production sees the greatest increase, encouraging the Portuguese to “recycle” their excuses and separate waste. “Começa por reciclar as desculpas” is the call to action.

The awareness campaign developed by agency Nossa introduces a step into the recycling process: challenging citizens to recycle their excuses first. “During the holidays, it is common to hear excuses such as: ‘isso vai tudo para o mesmo sítio’, ‘o caixote está longe’ or ‘nas férias não quero ter trabalho’. This is precisely the obstacle the campaign seeks to dismantle, inviting the Portuguese to leave excuses behind and adopt more responsible behaviours,” explains APA in a statement.

The previous moment of the campaign “showed how the lack of proper waste separation is exhausting landfill capacity in Portugal, highlighting, with particular focus, the need to separate biowaste”. Despite this, not all regions of the country have selective biowaste collection implemented, and information on waste collection and treatment is not always properly communicated. In this regard, APA encourages citizens to contact the responsible entities: “If your area does not have a biowaste bin, speak to your municipality.”

Nova Expressão is responsible for disseminating the message across the various channels, with the summer campaign present on television, radio, digital media, press and outdoor.

Alongside the campaign, APA is promoting an awareness action that travels across Portugal over 18 days, through a travelling roadshow that invites communities to reflect on the importance of waste separation.

The “Vamos Lixar o Lixo” campaign continues until the end of 2026, having resulted from one of the largest advertising tenders of 2025.