This project, developed by Electrão and the Lisbon City Council, started last July in three parishes (Ajuda, Alcântara and Belém) and began to be extended to other areas of the city in September, reaching 13 of the 24 parishes this December: Ajuda, Alcântara, Alvalade, Areeiro, Arroios, Avenidas Novas, Beato, Belém, Campolide, Marvila, Olivais, Parque das Nações and Santo António.

Initially, those who wanted to request this free service (via the telephone number 808 20 32 32) had to leave their appliances for collection at the door, on the agreed day.

However, household appliances are now collected indoors, stressed Electrão, in a statement released.

"Whether in the kitchen or garage, we take them for recycling. This is the motto of the project", reads the text.

By operating in this way, the service overcomes "one of the great barriers" to the collection of large appliances that, because of their size and weight, are difficult to move and place at the door of a house or building, said Electrão.

On the other hand, it is a way to prevent the theft or deterioration of large household appliances on public roads, which normally contain polluting substances, ensuring that they are correctly sent for recycling, they added.

Under this project, "between July and November, approximately 20 tonnes of large household appliances were collected, which involved a total of 252 collections", revealed Electrão.

"In November alone, it was possible to collect six tonnes. During this period there were 97 requests for collection," he added.

“The order can only be placed if there is large electrical equipment for collection, but we always confirm if the citizen has other disused equipment, such as small appliances, light bulbs or batteries for collection, in order to take advantage of synergies”, said the director general of Electrão, Pedro Nazareth.

Electrão – Waste Management Association is the entity responsible for the collection and recycling systems for packaging waste, batteries and used electrical equipment.