Jornal de Leiria – Twenty-five tons of bio-waste collected in hotels and restaurants in Leiria

Around 25 tons of bio-waste have been collected since January in the restaurants and hotels in Leiria, in a project that will be extended to the residential area this month, councilor Luís Lopes announced today.

According to Luís Lopes, this bio-waste collection project, called Leiria + Greenwas started on January 16th, “on the Horeca channel, restaurants and hotels, within the urban area of ​​Leiria”.

“So far, we have 60 members to whom we have delivered a 120-liter container that is placed on the public road during the early hours of the morning, for us to collect”, explained the mayor to the Lusa agency, noting that “more than 25 tons of bio-waste that were duly forwarded and, as of today, they are already producing a compound that will later be used within the municipality as well.”

As for the domestic fraction, delivery of the brown containers has already started, which is being done door to door by a company hired by the municipality.

This distribution, of 14 thousand seven-liter containers for homes, takes place in Leiria, Marrazes and Parceiros (urban area).

At the same time, 800 500-liter containers will be placed on public roads (next to the undifferentiated containers).

“We have had reports of people who, legitimately, do not open the door”, acknowledged the councilor responsible for the Environment and Public Cleaning and Urban Solid Waste, stressing that whoever is delivering the seven-liter containers presents themselves properly identified.

Luís Lopes guaranteed that this process will start this month, without specifying a date because it depends on the placement of all surface containers and the delivery of at least 50% of the containers in the domestic fraction.

According to the councilor, “even if people refuse to accept [ter] the container” at home, they can always deposit bio-waste in containers installed on the street, highlighting the importance of residents being aware of how this process works.

“We already have available [no sítio na Internet do município] what is the map, what streets are being considered and then, gradually, we will expand it to the remaining areas and, logically, to the entire municipality by 2030, because that is one of the goals we have to achieve”.

Luís Lopes also clarified that with the collection of bio-waste the municipality pays less to Valorlis, a company that recovers and treats solid waste in the Leiria region.

“In practice, we went from 57 euros per ton of [resíduo] undifferentiated for half of this tariff, which is significant considering that the Municipality of Leiria represents 42% of the total waste that is sent to Valorlis”, he concluded.

The mayor added that by “substantially reducing the amount of unsorted waste” that goes to landfill, the bill will also be reduced, which “will then be reflected in the citizens”, and appealed to them to adhere to the selective collection of bio-waste.