Porto is 6% circular (2019)
- Input circularity 3% 2%
- Output circularity 12% 9%
- Processed materials 883,247 tonnes/year 1,096,706 tonnes/year
- End of Life (EoL) waste 216,819 tonnes/year 244,132 tonnes/year
- Secondary materials 27,086 tonnes/year 21,387 tonnes/year
Porto has a high urban density with 232,753 inhabitants spreading over 41 km2, it is the second most dense municipality in Portugal in terms of population as well as businesses. Its local economy is mainly based on "wholesale and retail trade" (17%), "accommodation and food service activities" (16%) and "professional, scientific and technical activities" (13%) in terms of number of employees, in 2019.
It was possible to illustrate that Porto is a linear and carbon-rich city, processing yearly around 856 kt of materials, adding 201 kt of additional stock (buildings, infrastructures, and durable goods) and reinjecting 54 kt in their economy. The results also shows that Porto has a high ecological cycling rates potentials (74%) that makes it an opportunity to move forward to achieve circular economy through circular bioeconomy strategies. In addition, the material stock assessment (MSA) illustrates the weight of Porto, whose building stock amounts to 28,000 kt (or around 130 t per capita).
Material stock map
Biomass sector
The Sankey diagram of the City of Porto shows us that almost all the materials of the biomass sector comes from import. This means that, to decrease the import of materials and to avoid bio-waste production, it should be implemented several measures to promote more circular flows in the city as well to upscale the ongoing circular projects. For instance, the ones related with separate collection of bio-waste (associated with the production and use of high-quality compost), local composting treatment (like home and community composting), food waste reduction initiatives (Embrulha), food donation networks, local/regional sustainable food production and sustainable food procurement.
The current circular initiatives in the biomass sector have currently a small impact in the circularity in the City of Porto, despite all the efforts already done by public and private entities. But we need to be aware that some of these initiatives are very recent, like the new municipal separate collection of bio-waste or the promotion and implementation of local community composting schemes and even food waste prevention programs.
The food donation projects, linking sectors like retail and restaurant sectors with institutions from the social sector helping families with low-income or in a situation of social exclusion, as well some projects promoting food waste prevention coordinated by LIPOR ("the right portion" and "wrap it up") or other entities (DariAcordar Association -- Zero Desperdício Program; or Refood4Good Association), needs to be upscaled to assure bigger impact than it happens today.
But, considering the current situation, it won't be easy to promote a full circular biomass sector in the City of Porto because most of the materials included will continue to be imported since it won't be possible to produce most of them locally, inside the city boundaries."
-
Domestic material consumption274,667 tonnes/year
-
End of Life recycling rate19.9%
-
Amount of sector waste39,364 tonnes/year
Urban context
Do you want to learn more about the methods, reports or are keen to carry out an urban or sector-wide circularity assesssment for your or a different city and build your own Sankey diagram? Then check out the resources from Metabolism of Cities:
- Urban Circularity Assessment - Method
- Urban Circularity Assessment - Handbook
- Exisiting urban circularity assessment reports - bottom of the page
- Sector-wide Circularity Assessment - Method
- Sector-wide Circularity Assessment - Handbook
- Exisiting sector-wide circularity assessment reports - middle of the page
Do you have any questions about the dashboard, data or want to get in touch with a contact person from the city? Please email Metabolism of Cities at info[at]metabolismofcities.org for assistence.