A triagem e a reciclagem começam hoje.

Both are nouns.

• triagem = screening, sorting, or selection, depending on context
• reciclagem = recycling

In this sentence, triagem often suggests the process of sorting or screening materials, people, or items before the next step.

Because triagem and reciclagem are feminine singular nouns, so they take the feminine singular definite article a.

• a triagem
• a reciclagem

In English, we often drop the, but Portuguese uses definite articles more often. So A triagem e a reciclagem... is very natural.

Because the subject is plural: A triagem e a reciclagem = the screening/sorting and the recycling.

Two singular nouns joined by e normally make a plural subject, so the verb must also be plural:

• A triagem começa = The sorting begins
• A triagem e a reciclagem começam = The sorting and the recycling begin

The base form is começar, which means to begin or to start.

começam is the 3rd person plural form in the present tense:

• eu começo
• você/ele/ela começa
• nós começamos
• vocês/eles/elas começam

Here it means begin/start in the present: they begin today.

The ç in começam keeps the s sound before a.

Compare:

• ca = usually sounds like ka
• ça = sounds like sa

So começam is pronounced with an s sound in that part, not a k sound.

This spelling happens because the verb is começar. When it is conjugated before a or o, Portuguese uses ç to preserve the sound:

• começa
• começam

But before e or i, plain c already has the right sound:

• comecei

In Brazilian Portuguese, it is roughly ko-MEH-sãw.

A few pronunciation notes:

• ç sounds like s
• ã is nasal
• the ending -am in this verb form is also nasal in Brazilian Portuguese

So the last part is not like English am. It has a nasal sound, closer to sãw than to sam.

Because Portuguese often places time expressions like hoje (today) at the end, though other positions are also possible.

All of these are possible:

• A triagem e a reciclagem começam hoje.
• Hoje, a triagem e a reciclagem começam.

The version with hoje at the end is very natural and neutral.

Yes, you may hear or see that, but A triagem e a reciclagem começam hoje is clearer and more standard.

Repeating the article is very common when talking about two separate nouns:

• a triagem e a reciclagem

Without the second a, the sentence can still be understood, but repeating it sounds more careful and natural in many contexts.

It can mean either, depending on context.

Portuguese simple present often covers ideas that English expresses in more than one way:

• begin
• start
• are beginning
• sometimes even a scheduled future sense, like start today

So começam hoje could mean:

• begin today
• start today
• are starting today

Yes, definitely. triagem is used in many areas.

For example:

• in hospitals: patient screening or initial assessment
• at airports or security checkpoints: screening
• in logistics or waste management: sorting
• in recruitment or documents: selection/filtering

So the best English translation depends on the situation.

Both are possible, but they are slightly different in style.

• começam hoje = simpler, more neutral, often used for facts, schedules, announcements, or official statements
• estão começando hoje = emphasizes that the action is in progress or unfolding right now

For a general announcement such as The sorting and recycling start today, the simple present começam hoje is very natural.

It is neutral and works well in formal or semi-formal contexts.

The vocabulary sounds especially common in:

• official notices
• environmental programs
• public service announcements
• workplace or institutional communication

It is not slangy, and it does not sound unusually stiff either.