Despite the threat of rainfall, Loulé’s Carnaval festivities once again attracted thousands of people who braved the bad weather to see the parade on Tuesday.
Taking place along the José da Costa avenue, the parade took no prisoners and poked fun at everyone from Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and football icon Cristiano Ronaldo to international politicians like Theresa May and Angela Merkel.
Around 600 people participated in the parade from local performers to members of local associations and even samba dancers.
And for the first time, the event saw all bars and cafés using “100% biodegradable paper cups” which could be reused up to four or five times.
The goal was to reduce the use of disposable plastic during the Carnaval festivities. Guests were asked to dispose of the cups in several brown containers that were set up around the town to then be taken to a composting landfill and made into quality compost for agriculture.
“In the end, the area was cleaner and free from plastic cups,” said the council, praising the initiative which, it says, fits right into its environment-friendly policies.
The council says that the number of tickets sold is still being counted but that all proceeds will be distributed among the local charities and associations that took part in the Carnaval festivities.
