Ecovalor, Toneladas de Ajuda, EcoEventos, EcoPraias and Mercado a Reciclar. In 2023, €883,358 was allocated to social aid.
The communication and environmental education campaigns promoted by EGF in 2023 once again achieved record results in terms of tonnes of packaging collected, with a 49% increase in the amount of recyclable materials and a 39% increase in the number of people impacted compared to the previous year, reaching the highest amount of recyclable material ever.
In total, 13,700 tonnes of packaging were collected in the five campaigns: Ecovalor, Toneladas de Ajuda, EcoEventos, EcoPraias and Mercado a Reciclar, which are developed by EGF Group companies for various audiences and promote recycling anytime, anywhere. These campaigns make it possible to measure the amount of packaging separated for recycling and assess their direct results in terms of the quantities collected.
Of the 13,700 tonnes of packaging collected, 7,564 tonnes were paper and cardboard, 3,601 tonnes were plastic and metal, and 2,541 tonnes were glass. Glass collection, in the specific case of environmental campaigns, increased by 100% compared to 2022, paper and cardboard by 38% and plastic and metal by 45%. These figures reflect the investment made by EGF and its concessionaires in raising environmental awareness and the commitment of communities to the environment, resulting in a positive response to the challenge posed by each of the campaigns.
EGF and its concessionaires contributed a total of €883,358 to social aid through the prizes associated with these campaigns, a figure that highlights their role as entities that contribute to improving the living conditions of the various communities within their areas of intervention.
ECOVALOR 2022/2023
The Ecovalor programme is designed for school communities. Through awareness-raising activities, visits to the various facilities of EGF Group companies and the ‘Recycle and Win’ competition, the programme encourages schools to recycle packaging.
Schools participating in the ‘Recycle and Win’ competition compete for a cash prize that is awarded based on their performance in collecting packaging. The prizes awarded by EGF concessionaires are used to purchase equipment or make structural improvements to playgrounds, for example. In 2023, €199,737 was awarded as part of this competition.
A total of 1,155 schools, from nursery to secondary level, participated in the ‘Recycle and Win’ competition, involving 351,345 pupils. Together, these schools managed to collect 4,975 tonnes of materials for recycling: 2,639 tonnes of cardboard and paper, 1,009 tonnes of glass and 1,327 tonnes of plastic and metal, representing a 41% increase in the total number of tonnes collected.
TOP 3
In the national TOP 3 of schools participating in this competition, EB 2/3 D. Martim Fernandes, from Albufeira, stood out in first place, with 44 tonnes collected and delivered to Algar. In second place was the Chainça School Centre, in Abrantes, which belongs to Valnor's area of operation, where 42 tonnes were collected. Third place, with 31.5 tonnes, went to Escola do Monte, in Vila Nova de Gaia, which is part of the Suldouro area.
TONELADAS DE AJUDA 2023
Combining environmental and social causes, the Toneladas de Ajuda campaign is aimed at Private Social Solidarity Institutions (IPSS). Each participating institution delivers recyclable material to the EGF Group company in its area, which is then converted into a monetary value for its benefit. Anyone can also help an institution by delivering material for recycling to companies and choosing the IPSS to which they want to donate the material.
Last year, 304 IPSS participated and managed to collect 4,830 tonnes of packaging, an increase of more than 13% in recyclables delivered: 3,539 tonnes of paper and cardboard, 147 tonnes of glass and 1,143 tonnes of plastic and metal, which translated into €657,261 in prizes awarded.
TOP 3
The three IPSS that contributed the most were APPACDM Trofa with 491 tonnes; in the Resinorte area, the Algarve Food Bank with 471 tonnes, belonging to Algar; and the Setúbal Food Bank with 229 tonnes, in the Amarsul area.
ECOEVENTS 2023
The Ecoevents campaign is aimed, as the name suggests, at events that may be cultural, sporting or recreational, and which are committed to the responsible management of the waste produced there. In the case of this campaign, companies help, on site, at registered events with the logistics of collecting packaging at the venues, selective collection and raising awareness among traders and the public.
In 2023, 335 events participated, 35% more than in the previous edition, covering 13.3 million people and recording a very significant increase of 342% in tonnes of packaging collected, which can be attributed to the World Youth Day. A total of 2,853 tonnes of packaging were separated for recycling: 943 tonnes of paper and cardboard, 983 tonnes of glass and 926 tonnes of plastic and metal, which resulted in €26,360 in prizes awarded.
TOP 3
With 1,840 tonnes and 373 tonnes, World Youth Day in Lisbon (Valorsul) and Leiria (Valorlis) led the way with the highest quantities of recyclables, followed by Boom Festival (Valnor), a well-known winner of other editions, with 142 tonnes.
ECOPRAIAS 2023
Ecopraias is EGF's campaign based on the premise that even on holiday, we all have to do our part when it comes to recycling. Teams of monitors walk the beaches and encourage bathers to separate the waste they produce while they are on the sand.
In the summer of 2023, 49 beaches participated in this campaign, the vast majority in the Setúbal region and the Amarsul area, where 59,108 people were impacted, separating 4,830 tonnes of packaging at beach recycling points – 164 tonnes of paper and cardboard, 251 tonnes of glass and 90 tonnes of plastic and metal.
RECYCLING MARKET 2023
The Recycling Market challenges traders and customers to change their habits and participate in recycling. Markets are places where large quantities of recyclable waste are produced, and the campaign focuses on creating the conditions for its correct separation, alongside raising awareness among the public. In 2023, 28 markets were covered, an increase of 3 markets compared to 2022, but the amount of tonnes collected grew by 93%, corresponding to 280 tonnes of packaging separated and sent for treatment.