"I cannot fail to point out that, in 2019, the Azores recovered more than half of the urban waste produced, 55.2 percent, and, consequently, the fraction disposed of in landfills was less than the recovered, 44.8 percent", said on 15 June the governor, in the presentation of the report on the production and management of waste last year, which took place in Horta, Faial.

Marta Guerreiro said that this is the third consecutive year in which the region values ??"most of the respective urban waste", highlighting that, in 2012, around 87 percent of urban waste produced in the Azores "was destined for disposal in landfills".

The official highlighted the 10 percent increase in organic recovery in 2019, compared to the previous year, and referred that the material recovery (recycling) was 22.6 percent in 2019, compared to 19.4 percent in 2016.

As for composting (organic recovery), it represented 15.5 percent in 2019, while it was 12.8 percent in 2016 and 3.6 percent in 2012.

"This legislature thus constitutes a benchmark in relation to urban waste through the increase in material and organic recovery, but also in energy recovery", she said.

Marta Guerreiro pointed out the existence of six islands on which it was possible to avoid the waste going to urban landfills.

"Another highlight is the fact that six islands in the Azores, Flores, Corvo, Faial, São Jorge, Graciosa and Santa Maria, have reached 'zero landfill' with full recovery, 100 percent of the respective urban waste", she said.

The regional secretary said that, between 2016 and 2019, about 1,500 tons of plastics were "withdrawn from consumption", as a result of the distribution of "minus 225 million plastic bags in the retail trade".

Marta Guerreiro also said that the Regional Government saw a project approved that aims to develop a system of 25 machines for the "return of non-reusable packaging of drinks in plastic, glass and metal".

This system will be installed in all Azorean islands by 2021, is budgeted at one million Euros and will be 90 percent financed by European funds.

In presenting the report, the Regional Director for the Environment, Hernâni Jorge, said that in 2019, more than 145 thousand tons of urban waste were produced in the Azores, an increase of 2.6 percent over the previous year.

Of these approximately 145 thousand tons, 88,741 were produced in São Miguel, 2,458 in Santa Maria, 33,922 in Terceira, 1,877 in Graciosa, 3,577 in São Jorge, 7,176 in Faial, 6,058 in Pico, 1,677 in Flores and about 236 tons were produced in Corvo.

In 2019, only the island of Terceira decreased the amount of urban waste produced compared to the previous year (-0.7 percent).