Sociedade Ponto Verde marks 30 years of packaging recycling in Portugal

Sociedade Ponto Verde (SPV), founded on 19 November 1996, is marking three decades since it began organising packaging waste management in Portugal. From around 1,500 tonnes recycled in its first year, the system now handles roughly 487,000 tonnes annually, with over 11 million tonnes recycled since inception and about 70% of Portuguese households using the country's 70,000 recycling points. Despite this growth, Portugal missed its 2025 target of recycling 65% of packaging placed on the market and remains in breach, with fresh investment and structural reforms deemed necessary to meet tougher 2030 goals.