By: CECÍLIA PIRES
ALGARVE CÂMARAS will have a supply of biodiesel for their cars and trucks next year as a result of project to collect waste domestic oil from the 16 municipalities.
The project will cost an estimated two million euros from funding that was secured from the European Union by a regional partnership led by Almargem, the environmental organisation, and including Junta Metropolitana do Algarve (AMAL), the Câmaras regional board, Águas do Algarve, the region’s water supply agency, Algar, the region’s rubbish collection agency, AREAL, the regional energy and environment agency, and the University of Algarve.
According to the promoters of the project, the main idea was to reduce the Câmaras’ spending on their car and truck fleets and, at the same time, help solve the environmental problem that is being caused by the dumping of domestic oils in the sewerage systems (about 55 per cent) and in rubbish bins (45 per cent).
Collection bins
Oil from restaurants and hotels is already collected through a legal system under the supervision of the local authorities and the Ministry of Environment, but this does not apply to domestic consumers.
Around 100 tonnes of domestic oil are wasted every month in the Algarve, a similar quantity to that which is used by commercial facilities.
Under the new collecting programme, oil collection bins will be placed in the some key locations.
Trucks will collect the oil from the bins for delivery to recycling plants already operating in the north of Portugal, where it will be transformed in biodiesel B30, which uses 30 per cent of food oil and 70 per cent of traditional fuel oil.
Do you have a view on this story? Email: [email protected]
