José Eduardo Martins highlights the lack of effective solutions for the collection and organic valorisation of bio-waste by large producers
José Eduardo Martins, Partner in the Public & Environment department at Abreu Advogados, today highlighted the insufficiency of available solutions for the collection and organic valorisation of bio-waste by large producers not covered by the public service reserve. He also pointed out legislative ambiguities regarding the nature of bio-waste produced by the distribution sector and the difficulties in classifying these waste streams as urban or non-urban.
The Abreu Advogados partner spoke at the 3rd Bio-waste Forum, held at the Porto Inova Building Auditorium in Porto, during the panel dedicated to the “Management of Bio-waste by Large Producers”. His intervention focused on analysing the legal and operational challenges of this segment, with particular emphasis on the specificities of the food distribution sector.
Among the proposals presented, he emphasised the importance of voluntary agreements approved by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), allowing distribution chains to directly assume responsibility for managing their bio-waste, as well as the need for organised collection circuits and more widespread composting systems. The environmental law specialist also stressed the urgency of resolving the inconsistent duality between urban and non-urban waste and the potential implementation of pay-as-you-throw systems tailored to the size and volume of waste generated by each establishment.
At the end of his intervention, José Eduardo Martins shared a series of reflections on the future of bio-waste management, the role of campaigns against food waste, and possible paths for the progressive accountability of different actors within the value chain.
