Author Archives: Alexandra Martins

Lasso Eco Innovation is a brand with a strong commitment to the environment. And its mission is not limited to the fact of manufacturing and marketing products that contribute to reducing environmental pollution and consolidating the sustainability policy of the municipalities.

Indeed, since the beginning of its activity, in 1992, it has been a fundamental concern of Lasso to minimize the impact of its activity on the environment, which has led the company to adopt practices aimed at optimizing the consumption of natural resources and preventing environmental pollution. For this reason, the company pursues a strategy based on principles of quality and environmental preservation, adopting a company culture that is experienced daily by all its employees.

The environmental policy implemented by Lasso Eco Innovation is based on a set of fundamental principles, including the certification of its Integrated Quality and Environment Management System in accordance with the normative references ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015, subject to a constant review of efficiency and effectiveness, as well as compliance with statutory requirements of environmental legislation, applicable general legislation and good business practices relevant to the company’s activity. The awareness of employees, customers, suppliers and other business partners about the importance of preserving the environment is also part of these principles, as well as the entire reorganization of processes with a view to the rational use of raw materials and natural resources, and the reuse and recycling of waste arising from the activity.

On this last point, it is important to point out that, in terms of energy consumption, Lasso recorded in the last year an 8% reduction of the network energy consumption under its activity function. This reduction was possible given the increased use of renewable energies by the company, namely photovoltaic energy, which gives the company an energy autonomy rate of around 32% (through the photovoltaic panels installed by the company in 2017).

This year, Lasso will further reinforce the use of renewable energies, through an additional investment with the aim of doubling the photovoltaic production capacity.

Furthermore, the company has increased its fleet of electric vehicles, which also contributes to a reduction in the consumption of fossil fuels and, consequently, to minimize the ecological footprint of Lasso and its products. Currently, it can be said that more than 70% of the energy consumed by its activity comes from renewable energies. Regarding the consumption of natural resources and the use of plastic, Lasso has dedicated part of its investment in R&D to the development of products that include the use of recycled and recyclable materials in their production. This is the case of containers with “Wood Imitation” finishing, a coating made from 100% recycled plastic material, or new big and small lids, made with recyclable plastic. “We have always been committed to the preservation of natural resources and sustainability and, with our environmental policy and the development of products that respect the environment, we are moving towards our “zero carbon” objective and contributing to the development of a circular and sustainable economy”, says Pedro Martins da Costa, Lasso Eco Innovation’s CEO.

Several Portuguese municipalities have already implemented Lasso’s new solutions for the disposal of biodegradable waste (organic waste), paving the way for the mandatory selective collection of this type of domestic waste from 2024. Porto, Oeiras and Ovar are the Portuguese municipalities that have already installed Lasso containers for the collection of biodegradable waste, favouring the advantages presented by full-underground and semi-underground containers.

Remember that the General Waste Management Regime (GWMR) defines the segregation at the origin of organic waste from restaurants and industrial activities until December 31, 2022, in the case of entities that produce more than 25 t/year of biodegradable waste, and up to December 31, 2023, in the remaining cases. In the case of entities responsible for municipal urban waste management systems, the GWMR determines that the operationalization of the selective collection of organic waste is carried out by December 31, 2023.

In order to respond to these directives, entities must guarantee the selective collection of this waste, ensuring the existence of easily accessible collection points in the community. In order to support municipalities and waste management companies to fulfil these objectives, Lasso Eco Innovation has developed specific solutions for the collection of organic waste, which have advantages over the door-to-door collection system.

Through full-underground and semi-underground containers adapted to this type of waste, Lasso helps to encourage residents to segregate organic waste at the origin, ensure the sanitation and health of the public space, reduce landfill deposition, and increase the value of resources, promoting, at the same time, the principles of the circular economy, for a more sustainable future.

Lasso full-underground containers for organic waste are presented with three column solutions – the Blue Bee, the Green Bee and the Red Bee. All are characterized by their modern design and aesthetics and perfect integration with the environment, robustness, durability and low maintenance. Lasso’s containers are designed for intensive use, even in extreme environments, and to ensure a long service life. Also for semi-underground containers, surface space occupation and visual impact are reduced, as only 1/3 of the container is above the ground.

In both cases, the organic waste is stored below ground in a dedicated well, with the advantage that the lower underground temperatures contribute to slow down the growth of bacteria, eliminating bad odors. The organic waste is collected underground, with three possible solutions: in a watertight overturning container, with a capacity of up to 1100 liters and a lifting platform with two hydraulic cylinders; in a sealed MasterbagTM bag; or in a rigid tank with bottom discharge. It should also be noted that all available landmarks are compatible with an access control system and a filling monitoring probe, intelligent systems for urban waste management that allow the implementation of PAYT billing systems and the optimization of the collection process.

The Green Bee full-underground container with incorporated pedal has been registering the preference of Lasso’s customers in the national and internacional markets, as is the case of modern residential developments, such as Acquadalva Residence (in the photo), in the city of Porto, in the north of Portugal.

Its large capacity, design, ergonomics, ease of access and adaptation to the new intelligent access control systems are some of the characteristics that distinguish these waste collection equipment from Lasso Eco Innovation.

Between May 30 and June 3, Lasso Eco Innovation was present at IFAT 2022, the world’s leading event for the sector of environmental technologies and services, to present its world class solutions for urban waste collection. At IFAT, Lasso’s semi-underground and full-underground containers have generated enormous interest from customers from several countries in Northern Europe, but also from Morocco, Israel, Cyprus, France and Italy, among others.

It was a very positive balance for Lasso Eco Innovation, during its presence in this event in Munich. Pedro Martins da Costa, Lasso’s CEO, said: “It was an opportunity to meet old customers and also receive companies and municipalities from countries like the USA, Finland, Israel, Belgium and many others, which represents international recognition for our innovative solutions and equipment for urban waste collection”.

Alpes D’Azur, a French region that presents a unique environment, preserved between the sea and the mountains, today represents a case study – over there, the largest number of Lasso’s containers were installed within the shortest period of time. In fact, at the end of 2019, 300 Lasso semi-underground containers were installed in about three months in 27 of the 34 communities of the Association of Municipalities of Alpes d’Azur.

“This is a case that for us is special, not only because of the short production and delivery time of the products to an international customer, but also because of all the logistics involved in installing the equipment itself, in locations that in many cases were very difficult to access and presented an added challenge”, says Pedro Martins da Costa, Lasso’s CEO.

Through Contenur, its exclusive distributor in France, and its logistics partner Alpes Azur Levage, a company specializing in crane transport and equipment installation, it was possible to take the Lasso semi-underground containers to remote mountainous areas, where the installation required special requirements. Thus, more than 300 Lasso Semi BT containers, with a capacity for 4m³ and 5m³, were installed, with Treated Autoclave Wood Boards finishing, responding to the needs of that French region that aims to increase the separation of waste for recycling, meeting European targets and contributing to environmental sustainability.

“We rely on the right partners, anywhere in the world, to market and install our products quickly and efficiently, at the lowest possible cost”, Pedro Martins da Costa adds.

The Municipality of Alcobaça installed new full underground Green Bee containers in Pataias, within the scope of the requalification project of some areas of that parish. One of the main objectives was to replace the previous surface containerization system, considered less effective by the municipality that for this reason installed Green Bee containers for the first time in 2017, in the parish of Benedita

Now, two new recycling banks have been installed with four full underground containers each, for mixed waste deposition and selective collection of plastic and metal, cardboard and paper and glass.

“In Green Bee containers, it is important to highlight the fact that they do not have a hydraulic system, which gives them a huge advantage in terms of maintenance, that is, they require practically no assistance. These new full underground containers are replacing the old surface containers, presenting, in our opinion, a more efficient, cleaner and more sustainable solution”, says Cristina Ferreira, Head of the Environment and Green Spaces Unit of the Alcobaça City Council.

As part of the project for the requalification of areas in this Alcobaça’s parrish, works are still underway to install three new recycling banks with Green Bee full underground containers. “The municipality of Alcobaça has already adhered to the full underground containers a few years ago. The acquisition of new equipment at this moment is the recognition that this solution for depositing and collecting waste has undeniable benefits in terms of lower operating costs, safety for operators and ease of use for residents, cleaning and hygiene of the public space and sustainability ”, says Maria João Ferreira, Lasso’s commercial director for the national market.

The municipality of Sabrosa, in the district of Vila Real, in the North of Portugal, has just installed a recycling bank with Lasso’s Green Bee full-underground containers, namely in São Martinho de Anta, a small village that is the birthplace of the great portuguese writer Miguel Torga. The recycling bank, which is already in operation, includes a set of four full-underground containers: a container for mixed waste (5m³), one for plastic and packaging (3m³), one for card and paper (3m³) and one for glass (3m³).

Green Bee containers belong to the latest generation of Lasso underground containers, designed to generate the least urban impact possible, with maximum respect for the environment and users. It is an eco-friendly container, highlighted by its large capacity, robustness and resistance, as well as minimal maintenance needs. Compressing waste by its own weight allows for a higher density than surface containers, which increases storage capacity and reduces collection trips.

“Our objective with the installation of this equipment was to improve environmental sustainability through the possibility of separating waste by the community in general, with a view to its forwarding for recycling. This type of full-underground recycling banks promote a more adequate landscape framework within the urban agglomeration, both visually and in terms of the hygiene of the space where it is located and, in addition, it presents advantages in design as well as in the operability of waste collection”, says  António Matos, Senior Technician for the Environment, Human Management and Health at the City Council of Sabrosa.

Maria João Ferreira, Lasso’s commercial director for the domestic market, adds that “the Green Bee containers, as they have a round-shaped ground floor lid (and not square or rectangular, as is the case with other similar equipment), have an enormous advantage in space optimization. Only the round-shaped lid has the versatility needed for installation in small spaces, as was the case here”.

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.

Sopsa has just received the distinction of PME Excelência 2020, a status awarded by IAPMEI in partnership with a number of banks and Societies of Mutual Guarantee, which represents the recognition of its merit and its contribution to the results of the Portuguese economy, even in a situation as adverse as the one experienced in the last year. For Sopsa, a company with a strong presence in the international market, this seal of reputation is particularly relevant, constituting a differentiating factor and a guarantee of our solidity and suitability.

Thank you to our customers and suppliers and congratulations to the whole team!

Another municipality in Portugal selected the “Image Finishing” for the requalification and renewal of its Lasso semi-underground containers. This time, it was the Municipality of Sintra that, in order to requalify some equipment that was already degraded outside, used this type of coating to communicate with its residents. “Doing better for sustainability and reducing waste” and “What doesn’t end here ends up at sea” are some of the messages conveyed by the municipality of Sintra through the now renovated containers.

In August this year, eight recycling banks were intervened, in a total of 32 semi-underground containers, with the new coating solution, in the area of Portela de Sintra. In the Praia Grande area, two new recycling banks were installed, with eight semi-underground containers with “Image Finishing”.

“We chose to use this type of coating because it has two great advantages – it renews the image of the containers and constitutes an effective communication media. In this case, we have chosen to convey messages about sustainability and protection of the environment, together with the rules for the disposal of waste and indications on how to separate waste and what can be recycled. We are certain that this action will contribute to increase our recycling rate ”, stresses Carlos Vieira, Managing Director of Municipal Services for Water and Sanitation in Sintra.

The “Image Finishing” is a type of coating that consists of digital images printed in large format, on vinyl, transforming Lasso semi-underground containers into an innovative customizable communication support.

“We have had an excellent acceptance of “Image Finishing” from our customers, because it allows them to fulfill two objectives: that of remodeling their older equipment, some over 20 years old, and that of communicating with users clearly and directly. It is a coating solution that does not require a large investment and that lasts for a long time”, says Maria João Ferreira, Lasso’s commercial director for the national market. In addition to Sintra, other municipalities are already using Lasso semi-underground containers as a means of communication with great success, such as Barreiro, Castro Marim, Guimarães, Ílhavo, Nazaré, Penafiel, Vila do Conde and Vilamoura.