en.Wedoany.com Reported - Electrão, Portugal's waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling body, collected a significantly higher volume of solar photovoltaic panels in the first half of this year, reaching 3,356 tonnes, compared to just 213 tonnes in the same period last year.
In the first half of 2026, Electrão collected and sent for recycling over 24,000 tonnes of WEEE, a 19% increase year-on-year. This growth is mainly attributed to the significant impact of storms on related equipment in the central region of the country. The Leiria region is expected to have over 7,600 tonnes of waste still awaiting collection after the storms.
Of all equipment sent for recycling, 79% was collected directly through Electrão's own network. Collection through this network increased by 12% in the quarter, from 17,000 tonnes to 19,000 tonnes. Electrão stated that the growth was partly due to the involvement of operational partners, but mainly resulted from the continuous strengthening of the collection network and efforts to provide more convenient services for citizens. Currently, the network offers citizens approximately 18,000 drop-off points for used batteries, accumulators, and electrical equipment, with 860 new collection points added this year.
Besides solar panels, the equipment with the highest recycling volumes in the first half of the year were, in order: large household appliances (such as washing machines and dryers), temperature regulation equipment (such as refrigerators, freezers, and radiators), small household appliances (such as toasters and electric irons), monitors and televisions, information technology and telecommunications equipment, and finally, light bulbs. Ricardo Furtado, Director of the Electrical and Battery Department at Electrão, emphasized that by strengthening the collection network and continuously bringing recycling closer to citizens, the simpler and more convenient it is to deliver old equipment, the greater the public participation and the better the environmental outcomes.
Electrão offers free door-to-door collection services for large household appliances in 14 municipalities in the Lisbon metropolitan area and the western region, including Almada, Amadora, Cascais, Lisboa, Loures, Mafra, Moita, Odivelas, Oeiras, Palmela, Seixal, Sintra, Sobral de Monte Agraço, and Torres Vedras. Ricardo Furtado noted that door-to-door collection of electrical equipment is one of the strategies to combat the illegal market, which remains a major challenge for the sector. The diversion of WEEE into informal channels harms the recovery of valuable materials and increases environmental risks; citizen participation is crucial to ensuring waste enters official recycling channels.
