The temporary waste deposition centers in Sintra, located in São João das Lampas and at the Colares Wastewater Treatment Plant (ETAR), are operating with extended hours until 8:00 p.m., according to a statement.
According to the same source, the two centers are open from Monday to Saturday until 8:00 p.m., operating continuously from 8:30 a.m. and with no lunch break, in order to increase the waste deposition response to Sintra residents. Intended only for green waste, the temporary waste deposition center located at the Colares ETAR, situated at Caminho do Reconco, in Várzea de Colares, is also open on Sundays, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The extended hours of the two spaces, which previously closed at 6:30 p.m., aim to respond to the ongoing growth in waste production, with bulky waste, the so-called “monos”, recording an increase of 18.6% during 2025 compared with the previous year, and green waste with an increase of 10% in the same period.
The São João das Lampas Temporary Waste Deposition Center, located next to the local cemetery and managed by the Sintra Municipal Water and Sanitation Services (SMAS de Sintra) and by the Parish Council, is intended to receive “monos”, such as furniture, mattresses and waste from electrical and electronic equipment, whether refrigerators, washing machines and televisions, but it can also receive construction and demolition waste (RCD), green waste, the traditional selective collection streams (plastic/metal, glass and paper/cardboard) and used cooking oils.
This center now features a mobile ecocenter, where other waste can be deposited, such as contaminated packaging, coffee capsules, toners and ink cartridges, small electrical and electronic devices, lamps and batteries.
In Colares, at the SMAS de Sintra facilities, the center only receives green waste, coming from the cleaning and maintenance of gardens or cultivation areas and from households, namely clippings, logs, branches, grass and herb cuts, but now with extended hours and every day of the week.
The creation of these deposition centers, as an intermediate and temporary point before sending waste to the Tratolixo facilities (the intermunicipal company responsible for treatment in the municipalities of Sintra, Cascais, Mafra and Oeiras), aims to minimize the scourge of illegal dumping in public spaces of “greens” and “monos”, whose collection, in the latter case, increased from two thousand tonnes in 2016 to 12.3 thousand tonnes in 2025 (a 616.5 percent increase).
It should be noted that illegal disposal on public roads, including near containers for urban waste collection, constitutes an offense that may result in fines between 250 and 22,000 euros, in accordance with the Sintra Municipality’s Regulation on the Collection and Transport of Urban Waste.
The free bulky waste collection, up to 10 units per month, can be requested directly from the Parish Council or Union of Parishes of the respective locality (https://www.smas-sintra.pt/residuos/rede-de-recolha-de-residuos-urbanos/monos/) or through the Urban Waste Line: 800 210 020 for the Union of Parishes of Sintra. The collection of ‘greens’ is also free up to 5 m³ per week.
Construction and demolition waste (originating from building works, reconstruction, expansion, conservation and demolition of buildings and from the collapse of structures) are also collected free of charge by SMAS de Sintra up to 1 m³ per user/work, when they come from private works exempt from licensing and not subject to prior notification, with a Big Bag (1 m³ bag) provided. The request for these bags must be made through the Waste Line (free number 800 210 020) or the email address [email protected], and their collection is guaranteed free of charge on a date, time and place to be defined with the applicant.
The Municipality of Sintra, through SMAS de Sintra, has also established a partnership with Electrão to provide a differentiated service to residents, who have begun to benefit from doorstep-to-door collection of large used electrical equipment. To use this service, the citizen only has to make the request to the Parish Council/Union of Parishes, to SMAS de Sintra or directly to Electrão, at 800 262 333.
To request this home collection, it is necessary to have a bulky appliance for delivery, such as a refrigerator, a chest freezer or a washing or drying machine. Additionally, at the time of collection, the Electrão team can take batteries, used batteries and small electrical and electronic devices that are damaged or out of use, usually forgotten in drawers, such as mobile phones or lamps.
