Since May 2nd, Lisbon’s commercial beverage and restaurant establishments have had 60 days to begin complying with a new ban: “serving, outside the establishment, products resulting from the sale and consumption of the same, in single-use plastic or disposable, namely cups”. The decision was communicated in an order from the Lisbon municipality’s Municipal Bulletin, last Thursday, and also includes the obligation of “daily cleaning of the areas surrounding commercial establishments and their respective areas of influence”, as well as “the mandatory placement of ashtrays and equipment for disposing of waste produced by its customers”.
The Lusa agency, an official source from the Lisbon City Council (CML), assured that the content of the order was communicated to the parish councils, the Hotel, Restaurant and Similar Association of Portugal (AHRESP) and distribution companies. It will be up to the parish councils, in accordance with the CML, to supervise the establishments in their area of action, with fines being foreseen between 150 and 1500 euros for natural persons who commit an infraction regarding the new practices and between 1000 and 15,000 euros, if they are individuals collectives.
The measures are part of the Lisbon Waste Management, Cleaning and Urban Hygiene Regulation, whose application was postponed due to the pandemic. It should be remembered that in 2018 and 2019, the CML had announced the ban on the use of disposable plastic cups abroad, particularly in June festivals, where disposable plastic cups would be prohibited (although they continued to be used). and also, in 2020, “disposable plastic plates and cutlery”, as announced in the order. The 60 days now given to begin compliance with the measures (in this new attempt by the Chamber) serve as a period of awareness raising among the city’s commercial agents for new practices.
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