Sociedade Ponto Verde launches AI chatbot to fix recycling errors

Sociedade Ponto Verde (SPV) has launched ELO, an AI-powered digital assistant designed to help citizens correctly sort packaging waste, available on its website and app. The tool addresses persistent confusion over where to dispose of items such as liquid food cartons or ceramics, and whether packaging needs washing first. SPV director Ricardo Sacoto Lagoa notes that while seven in ten Portuguese people separate packaging, only one in ten does so correctly, undermining recycling quality. Portugal ended 2025 with a 60.5% recovery rate, short of the 65% target, and Lagoa argues that alongside digital tools, expanding collection points, door-to-door schemes and sustained awareness campaigns remain essential.