A coffee with... Luísa Magalhães - ASWP Executive Director

Empack and Logistics & Automation Porto:

Tell us about yourself and your journey at Associação Smart Waste Portugal (ASWP). What is the day-to-day life of an Executive Director like?

Luísa Magalhães:

I have a degree in Environmental Engineering and have worked in the private sector, in consultancy in the area of innovation and projects and then in the public sector, linked to the Municipality of Lisbon, both in the City Council and in a municipal agency, collaborating in the area of waste and energy. Now I work in the Associative sector, working at ASWP since September 2016, an entity with about 150 members, which aims to promote the theme of circular economy, which is a constant challenge every day. The work at ASWP involves following this theme in national and international terms, contacting members in order to support their main needs, promoting partnerships, stimulating education in this area, as well as innovation. The interesting thing about this work is the diversity of areas and value chains that we are addressing, from construction, plastic, glass, paper, food waste, electrical and electronic equipment, waste, among others.

Empack and Logistics & Automation Porto:

What is ASWP’s vision and mission?

Luísa Magalhães:

ASWP’s vision is to position itself as a strategic and reference entity in the circular economy themes, being recognised in the national and international conjuncture, as a promoter of circularity in different areas.

In turn, ASWP’s mission is to involve all agents in the sector, enhancing and valuing waste as an economic and social resource, and creating conditions for a greater capacity to react to new national and international factors in a competitive way, acting throughout the value chain through a collaborative strategy, promoting innovation, research, development and implementation of solutions.

In 2022, the Association exceeded 145 Members, this network being a determining factor in the collaborative strategy for circularity.

Empack and Logistics & Automation Porto:

In your opinion and based on the studies carried out by ASWP, what is the perspective and future of the Circular Economy with regard to the Relevance and Impact of the Waste Industry in Portugal?

Luísa Magalhães:

The circular economy has been increasingly mentioned in the most diverse European and national strategies, such as the United Nations Framework Convention, the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the European Green Deal. These indicate the circular economy as one of the most prospective themes to support the decarbonisation of industry, the valorisation of resources and the (re)organisation of the current economic system.

ASWP considers that, although entities are already beginning to be aware of these issues, they are beginning to realise the importance of treating waste as a resource, but there is still much work to be done, as official figures on circularity are still very low. Despite the numerous benefits that the circular economy offers, the global economy is classified as only 7.2% circular, and the national economy as 2.2%, which demonstrates the need to work more at the regulatory level, in creating tax incentives, stimulating innovation, education and the involvement of the whole society and entities of different value chains, together with the waste sector, towards greater circularity.

Empack and Logistics & Automation Porto:

How can companies make a commitment to sustainability and maximise their economic use, reducing the need for resource extraction and its associated negative environmental impacts?

Luísa Magalhães:

The circular economy could be the answer for many companies, as it is a path to Sustainability. This economic model goes beyond the strict scope and focus of waste management and recycling actions, aiming at a broader action, from the redesign of processes, products and new business models, to the optimisation of resource use. It thus aims to develop new products and services that are economically viable, socially inclusive and environmentally efficient. Through the promotion of circularity strategies, companies thus assume a commitment to sustainability, thus stimulating the decoupling of economic growth from increased waste production and resource consumption, reducing impacts on the environment.

In Portugal, the circular economy has been highlighted and is beginning to be seen as an opportunity and a differentiating factor for companies, and may even have a great business potential associated with it, reducing costs with waste treatment, valuing and keeping them in circulation and promoting the reuse and reincorporation of alternative resources to virgin raw materials.

Empack and Logistics & Automation Porto:

Are you particularly excited about any recent project or initiative developed by ASWP?

Luísa Magalhães:

Since its foundation in 2015, ASWP has been asserting itself as a growing reference entity in the national context, in the process of transition to a circular economy. To this end, it promotes synergies and collaboration, activates the generation of new businesses based on circularity, creates scale, presents positions, is a partner of the tutelage, produces knowledge and information, stimulates innovation and research and dynamises several Working Groups. I would like to highlight two collaborative initiatives that we are coordinating: the Portuguese Pact for Plastics and the Glass+ Platform, which bring together the value chain of the packaging sector of these materials, academia, associations and government entities, with the aim of promoting the circularity of plastic and glass packaging, respectively, through defined objectives. I would also like to highlight the myWaste online platform, which was launched in 2022, which acts as a marketplace for the donation/sale of waste, by-products and materials classified as end-of-waste (EW), which can be recovered, which is being used by several entities and which aims to promote circularity in resource management.