This year, the “Monos & Companhia” (Monsters & Company) project traded the streets for the classroom. Instead of starting with the traditional Halloween exhibition, we began by raising awareness among younger generations, visiting primary school classes at the IPSS Florinhas do Vouga and the Centro Infantil de Arte e Qualidade, with a clear mission: to alert children and their families to the dangers of improper disposal of  “monos” and “monsters” and promote more responsible behaviours.

“Monos” and “monsters” are bulky waste items or electronic equipment such as fridges, televisions, sofas and mattresses, that due to their size and characteristics, they must not be placed in standard waste bins or recycling containers. In 2024, more than 217,000 tonnes of bulky waste were collected in Portugal. In the municipality of Aveiro alone, over 227 tonnes were collected, with around 28% resulting from improper disposal.

Through dynamic activities, Agora Aveiro volunteers explained the environmental and public health impacts of abandoning these items in public spaces, from the release of flammable and toxic substances to the proliferation of insects and rodents that may spread diseases. In addition to these risks, improper disposal leads to the waste of valuable resources.

Whenever possible, higher-quality equipment should be chosen  while sometimes more expensive, they last longer. Devem também ser adotadas boas práticas, como Proper maintenance, repair when needed, and donating items that are still functional but no longer useful. Disposal should always be the last resort.

The sessions also informed children about bulky-waste collection services in the municipality of Aveiro, provided by Veolia. Collection is free and simple, only needing to call 234 127 942 to ensure proper routing for recycling. Alternatively, anyone may bring items directly to the local Recycling Centre during opening hours.

After the educational component, it was time to get creative! Instead of using disposable decorations for our artistic installation, often made of plastic, students were challenged to create pieces using discarded materials such as toilet-paper rolls, cans and cardboard, thus giving them a new life. This way, children learned that creativity and sustainability can  (and should!) go hand in hand, especially during a season frequently marked by single-use plastics.

The project culminated on October 31st at the Aveiro’s Recycling Centre, where decorations made by children and volunteers gave new life to “monos” and “monsters.” Freezers, lawnmowers, televisions, vacuum cleaners and other equipment were transformed into ghosts, vampires, bats and zombies, proving that even waste items can be reborn with creative and educational purpose. The exhibition is open to the public until November 22nd.

Alongside the monstrous installation, an awareness-raising video was recorded and will soon be available on Agora Aveiro’s social media. With humour and imagination, it connects the “monsters” these abandoned objects can symbolically become with their real-world environmental impact, and more importantly,  while showing how to dispose of them correctly.

For the third consecutive year, we reaffirm that children are drivers of change and with environmental education and creativity, we can build a future where these monsters no longer haunt our streets but instead are transformed into new stories to tell.

“Monos & Companhia" is part of Agora Aveiro’s "Aveiro mais Verde" project. It is co-organized with Veolia Portugal, and has the  IPSS Florinhas do Vouga and the Centro Infantil de Arte e Qualidade as partners. It is supported by the Aveiro City Hall and the Portuguese Institute for Sport and Youth (IPDJ - Instituto Português do Desporto e Juventude I.P.).