Following the approval of the Strategic Plan for Municipal Waste (PERSU I), several waste treatment and recovery companies were established with the aim of eliminating open-air rubbish dumps, which were becoming increasingly common, and ensuring that waste was kept away from people. Amarsul was one of these companies. Founded in 1997, Amarsul collects, treats and recycles urban waste from the Setúbal peninsula.
Responsible for treating and recovering urban waste from nine municipalities and over 800,000 people, Amarsul operates three ecoparks, seven ecocentres and over 4,000 ecopoints, employing 412 people to treat around 445,000 tonnes of urban waste per year.
However, despite the national target of recycling 90–95 per cent of municipal waste by 2030, currently only 10 per cent is recycled. This target is overwhelming and will be very difficult to meet without the help of citizens, as recycling is currently only growing by 1% a year.
Waste sector in Portugal
The first infrastructures built were landfill sites, which, despite containing all the waste pollution, cannot give it a second life.
The resources used to produce glass, plastic and paper are finite, and extracting them endangers our well-being and that of future generations. Today, the focus is on giving waste a second life, so that we do not have to extract raw materials again and destroy nature.
To fulfil the government’s demands and targets for 2030, waste management companies had to present their strategic plans by that year. In the Amarsul region, 250 million euros will be invested in upgrading existing infrastructure and creating new, larger production units, as well as purchasing waste collection lorries, containers and machinery.
“We’re going to have a new network of mobile recycling bins with a capacity of 30m3 and compartments for atypical waste such as coffee capsules and paint cans.”
Ing. Rui Dores
The Amarsul
We spoke to José Silva and Rui Dores about the waste sector and the ways in which Barcelbal’s weighbridges support Amarsul on a daily basis.
José Silva graduated in Civil Engineering from the Barreiro School of Technology in 2013. After finishing his degree, however, he was forced to emigrate to the UK, where he spent ten years. Around two years ago, he returned to Portugal and began working at Amarsul as a works manager. He has found working at Amarsul enjoyable and has learnt a great deal, both in terms of the technical aspects of his job and the demanding measures that exist in the sector to guarantee environmental and corporate sustainability.
“No day is the same. Every day we have funny situations and challenges to overcome!”
Ing. José Silva
Rui Dores studied environmental engineering at the Nova University of Lisbon in Almada. He began his career in the waste sector around 20 years ago in the engineering department at EGF. In 2018, he moved to Valnor and Resiestrela, where he worked in the Technical Department for five years. In 2023, he started at Amarsul as Technical Manager.
“These 20 years are what José has already realised: no two days are the same.”
Ing. Rui Dores
Barcelbal Truck Weighbridges at Amarsul
The process of treating and recovering waste starts with the collection of municipal waste. In Setúbal, municipalities are responsible for collecting organic waste, while Amarsul collects waste from ecopoints. After collection, the lorries head to the respective ecoparks, where they are weighed at Barcelbal’s Ponte Pesa Trucks facility.
Currently, Amarsul has five Barcelbal weighbridges: two at the Palmela Ecopark, and one each at the Seixal Ecopark, the Setúbal Ecopark, and the Sesimbra Ecocentre.
Weighing equipment at Palmela Ecopark
The Palmela Ecopark has two metal weighbridges: one at the entrance to the industrial unit for checking the weight of waste collection lorries, and another inside the industrial unit for checking the weight of segregated waste containers.
To install the new weighbridge at the entrance to the ecopark, the old weighbridge was first removed and then reused to produce the two new weighbridges.
All of the Ponte Pesa lorry weighbridges were customised to fit the available spaces in the ecopark. The weighbridge installed at the entrance is 16×3 m with a capacity of 80 t, while the recovered weighbridge installed inside the industrial unit is 8×3 m with a capacity of 40 t. In the case of the latter, it was necessary to adapt the size of the ramps so that it could be installed in the requested location.
“It went very well, the weighbridge is impeccable! When Romeo brought it in, it was unrecognisable! Right now we’re finishing training with the drivers and we’re going to start using it.”
Ing. José Silva
“It looks like a brand new weighbridge. It’s a weighbridge that has worked for 20 years and spent two years in the worst possible conditions.”
Ing. Rui Dores
Weighing equipment at the Sesimbra Ecocentre and the Seixal and Setúbal Ecoparks
We have installed metal/concrete truck weighbridges at the Sesimbra Ecocentre and the Seixal and Setúbal Ecopark. This weighing equipment has undergone special treatment to withstand corrosion and heavy lorry traffic.
Installation at the Setúbal Ecopark was more complicated for two reasons. Firstly, it was the only weighbridge in the ecopark and could not be obstructed for long. Secondly, the weighbridge installed there was 16 metres long and weighed 55 tonnes.
Two 120-tonne cranes were needed to remove the panel, and iron trestles had to be applied to the foundation to support the new weighbridge, as the foundation was very high.
“It’s very intense during the day and there are lots of problems! We need to work with teams and organisations that provide good assistance. I’m very happy that Barcelbal is such a company, because it makes all the difference to us.”
Ing. Rui Dores
“You have extremely friendly staff. Romeu is an impeccable person. When we had a problem with another supplier, I was on the phone to Romeu, even by video call, to make sure everything was connected properly and the problem wasn’t with the weighbridge. My experience is very positive, because you were there whenever we needed you.”
Ing. José Silva
The fate of waste at Amarsul
After being weighed at Ponte Pesa, waste lorries are sent to different destinations depending on the type of waste they are carrying. Undifferentiated waste is sent for mechanical treatment, while recycled waste is sent to the sorting centre.
In order to prevent recyclable waste from going to landfill, Amarsul opens bags of unsorted waste and removes as much as possible. However, this effort does not replace the need for recycling, which requires special infrastructure, optical sensors, magnets, and additional human resources. It is also time-consuming and inefficient.
Furthermore, when mixed with organic waste, recyclable waste can become contaminated, preventing it from being recycled.
Waste recycled at ecopoints is sent to the sorting centre, where the materials are separated according to quality standards demanded by the recycling industry. Seixal’s Ecoparque is equipped with optical sensors and electromagnets that allow materials in the yellow ecopoint to be separated by type. Plastics are deposited in the same recycling bin, but they are not recycled together. Water bottles must be separated from shampoo bottles, milk cartons and mixed plastics such as crisp bags, biscuit packets and butter wrappers.
After separating the materials, Amarsul produces bales of recycled materials for management organisations in Portugal, such as Sociedade Ponto Verde, Eletrão and Novo Verde. These organisations then auction the bales to waste recycling companies.
The importance of recycling
Amarsul finances itself in two ways: by charging municipalities for the treatment and recovery of waste, and by taking back recycled materials.
Therefore, the more people recycle, the more Amarsul receives for taking back recycled materials, and consequently the less it charges municipalities for treating and recovering undifferentiated waste, which results in a lower tariff for citizens.
Although Amarsul separates some recyclable materials from organic waste, the value of the materials taken back is six times lower than that of the materials in the ecopoints and has no impact on the tariff charged to citizens.
Only Portuguese companies take back recycled materials, with the exception of glass, which is also taken back by Spanish companies.
Amarsul uses organic waste to produce fertiliser, which can be used as an alternative to chemical fertilisers.
Consequently, Amarsul’s annual take-back totals around 48,000 tonnes: 40,000 tonnes from selective collection and 8,000 tonnes from the mechanical separation of unsorted waste. Amarsul utilises 2% of the recyclable materials found in unsorted waste.
“People still don’t know where to put their waste. I see some people who are still indecisive with the card in their hand and don’t know where to put it. Other times, I see people on their mobile phones who aren’t even paying attention to where they’re putting their waste.”
Ing. José Silva
Amarsul’s success is our success!
