With the annual increase in the local population during the summer months, more rubbish is produced and the Algarve's council's collection services often can’t cope.
Many people find local rubbish containers overflowing with any overload simply dumped on the ground near collection points.
Added to this, garden waste and large objects, the so-called "urban monsters," add to the headache.
To help reduce the impact that this predictable surge in population entails, Albufeira council has started a "Door to Door Service for Green Residues and Urban Monsters."
To order a personalised collection, customers can phone a dedicated line - 808 202 274 available 24/7, indicating their address and telephone contact number so the collection team can arrange a time.
This service is free but has a condition, bulky objects must not be more than two cubic metres and only two monster-sized pieces will be collected from each house.
"This is a personalised service that aims to make life easier for people, to improve sanitary conditions and to contribute to maintaining the image of a municipality that leads in environmental quality," said José Carlos Rolo, the council's vice president in charge of rubbish.
Rolo, who once was interim mayor, asked "all citizens to comply scrupulously with the municipal solid waste regulation," which aims to encourage changes in attitudes and behaviour in the local population.
For this, Rolo asks for cooperation between the public, the waste collection service and the council because, “only together can we have a more pleasant Albufeira."
There are a few more conditions of course as the householder will need to take any outsized rubbish and waste to an agreed pick-up point that the collection vehicle can actually get to, and, in the case garden waste, branches shall not exceed 1 metre in length and tree trunks with a diameter greater than 20 cms should not be longer than 50cms.
In addition, grass clippings and weeds must be properly packaged in a closed or tied bag.
