Last year, 12 institutions benefited from financial compensation for sending materials for recycling.

On World Recycling Day, celebrated on May 17th, we remember that every gesture counts and every choice matters. Therefore, we highlight the Tons of Help campaign, a solidarity initiative that combines recycling with social responsibility, through which it was possible to allocate nearly €420,000 to social solidarity institutions last year, in the form of financial compensation for recyclable material delivered to ERSUC facilities. These amounts positively impacted approximately 15,000 people through the support provided by the 12 institutions that participated in the campaign.

The EGF Tons of Help campaign is aimed at social and non-profit institutions in Portugal and is available in the ERSUC intervention area, regionally, and in approximately 60% of the national territory, through the 11 concessionary companies of the EGF group. 1290 tons of waste sent for recycling
Throughout 2025, the institutions that participated in this campaign sent more than 1290 tons of recyclables for recycling: 971 tons of paper/cardboard, 274 tons of plastic/metal and 45 tons of glass. Each entity receives a monetary compensation, depending on the quantity and flow of material delivered to Ersuc's facilities.

In the TOP 3 of the ranking of institutions that stood out the most regionally last year, for the tons of recyclable material delivered and the value of the return received, are the Portuguese Association of Parents and Friends of the Mentally Disabled Citizen of Coimbra - Arganil Unit, with the delivery of 245 tons of recyclables, the Portuguese Association of Parents and Friends of the Mentally Disabled Citizen of Vila Nova de Poiares, with the delivery of 186 tons of recyclables, and A4 – Association of Friends of Animals of Águeda, which delivered 157 tons of material.

“The Tons of Help campaign demonstrates that recycling has the capacity to generate value far beyond environmental protection. By transforming recyclable materials into direct support for charities, this initiative shows that every act of separation can have a concrete impact on the lives of people and communities. It is this collective strength that we want to reinforce with our new campaign ‘Together we make the impossible possible’: when we all contribute, every package counts and every choice helps build a more sustainable and supportive future. On World Recycling Day, we remember that recycling is a simple gesture, but with real impact, every day of the year,” emphasizes Marta Neves, President of the Executive Committee of EGF.