In 2016, the municipality of Guimarães, through Vitrus, the municipal company responsible for environmental services, launched a PAYT (Pay-As-You-Throw) system pilot project in the historic center of the city. With the success of the first phase, the municipality now expands this system to the city center, relying on Lasso’s Blue Bee full underground containers, equipped with an access control system.
The project’s objectives are to initiate the transition to a fairer charging system and encourage sustainable habits among citizens, in order to mitigate the production of urban waste by reducing waste production and increasing selective collection of materials for recycling.
The PAYT project in the city center is due to start this year. So far 10 recycling banks have been installed, each with four large capacity Blue Bee full underground containers (one for mixed waste, one for plastic and metal packaging, one for paper and cardboard, all with 5m³, and one for glass, with 3m³). At each of these recycling banks, the mixed waste container is equipped with a volumetric unit with an access control system, which allows charging to be carried out according to the amount of waste deposited.
One of the main objectives of the municipality is to achieve the recycling goals for urban waste.
According to Dalila Sepúlveda, mentor of this PAYT project, “An increase of around 30% is expected in the amount of waste collected selectively in the PAYT enlargement area. This extension includes the placement of semi-underground containers in the areas with the highest population density, considering its greater capacity and its integrated design in the urban network. These containers are a support for the door-to-door selective collection system, considering that the tariff remains associated with the pre-purchased bag at Vitrus Ambiente”.
The project also foresees the installation of volumetric units with access control systems in four Blue Bee containers for mixed waste already existing in the area to be covered by the project, thus totaling 14 recycling banks for selective disposal of urban waste with PAYT system, in Guimarães.
The areas covered by the project with the Blue Bee recycling banks include streets such as Largo do Toural, Alameda de São Dâmaso, Rua de Sto. António, Rua de Gil Vicente, Largo República do Brasil, among many others. Vitrus is the company responsible for collecting waste in this area, which is now considered a PAYT area.
“Lasso is proud to be involved in this pioneering project, which is already considered an example of success at a national level. Lasso underground containers have a number of advantages, related to their large capacity and ease of operation and maintenance. Also, the fact that they are prepared to work with the PAYT system, through the solutions we provide, is a differentiating and competitive factor”, points out Maria João Ferreira, Lasso’s commercial director for the national market.