“The situation, which also happens at other times of the year, is aggravated during the summer by the high temperatures”, highlighted the municipality in the district of Faro in a statement.

According to the municipality, Algar “is not responding to the needs of the municipality, which receives thousands of tourists during the summer season, which exponentially increases the amount of waste produced”.

The service provided by Algar was also criticised by the Portimão City Council which, on Tuesday, in a statement, warned “of possible unhealthy problems” that could arise from waste piled up near recycling bins.

According to Albufeira City Council, selective collection is a reason for complaints from residents and tourists and “a major concern for the municipality which, every day, is confronted with ecopoints and ecological islands overflowing with waste that is scattered across the ground, causing health problems”.

The collection of paper and cardboard, plastic, glass and metal “is not done frequently enough”, with the waste sometimes remaining for several days accumulated and spread around the containers, emphasises the municipality.

“This situation is terrible for the image of Albufeira” warns the president of the Chamber, José Carlos Rolo, cited in the note.

Algar is made up of 56% by Empresa Geral de Fomento (EGF), of the Mota-Engil Group, and 44% by the 16 municipalities of the Algarve, serving a population of around 451 thousand inhabitants, in a total area of approximately 5,000 square kilometers.