On Friday, the Portuguese government approved a €2.3 billion ($2.67 billion) investment plan aimed at addressing a growing waste management crisis through 2030.
The country is facing an acute shortage of landfill capacity.
Cabinet Minister António Leitão Amaro stated that 13 of Portugal’s 32 landfills are nearing capacity, describing the situation as one of the country's major "hidden problems."
According to government data, Portugal generates 5.3 million tons of municipal solid waste annually, with 59% ending up in landfills. This figure far exceeds both national and EU-wide targets to reduce the share of landfilled waste to 10% by 2035.
"We need to act now and act decisively, because Portugal is running out of space for waste disposal," Leitão Amaro said.
The investments will be directed toward expanding separate waste collection and recycling programs, building and upgrading waste management infrastructure, processing organic waste, and reducing the volume of waste sent to landfills.