Valormed Portugal

What Valormed Portugal does

VALORMED – Sociedade Gestora de Resíduos de Embalagens e Medicamentos, Lda. is a Portuguese non-profit limited company founded in 1999 and headquartered in Algés, Portugal. It operates the SIGREM (Sistema Integrado de Gestão de Resíduos de Embalagens e Medicamentos), the national integrated system for collecting empty pharmaceutical packaging and expired or unused medicines from households, with reverse logistics routed through community pharmacies, parapharmacies, and 22 veterinary collection centers. The system is supported by four industry associations that each hold one-third of the company's capital: APIFARMA (industry), Groquifar and Adifa jointly (distribution), and ANF (pharmacies), creating a tripartite governance structure that reaches 98% of Portuguese pharmacies.

The underlying technology stack is operational rather than digital-native: SIGREM is a managed reverse-logistics network rather than a software platform, with downstream treatment outsourced via a competitive OGR tender. Supporting products include the EcoValor financing mechanism (€0.0166 per packaging placed on the market in 2026), the Pegada EcoMED eco-footprint calculator, the VALORMED Member Portal at my.valormed.pt, and recurring awareness campaigns and the Escolas de Valor school program. The company holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications since 2006 and was granted a renewed 10-year license (Despacho Conjunto nº 16/ME/MAEN/2024) on 30 June 2024, valid through 2034.

Commercially, VALORMED operates as an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme rather than a traditional revenue-generating business. Its funding is derived from mandatory annual Ecovalor contributions paid by pharmaceutical packagers and producers placing human and veterinary medicines on the Portuguese market, a unit-priced, recurring stream scaled to pack volume. It is overseen by APA, INFARMED, DGAE, and DGAV. With only five employees, VALORMED functions primarily as a lean coordination and stewardship entity for a regulated, industry-funded waste-management franchise rather than a growth-oriented commercial enterprise.

Name

Valormed Portugal

Legal name

VALORMED – SOCIEDADE GESTORA DE RESÍDUOS DE EMBALAGENS E MEDICAMENTOS, LDA

Website

https://valormed.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VALORMED is a Portuguese non-profit that operates SIGREM, the national integrated reverse-logistics system for collecting household pharmaceutical packaging and expired medicines via community pharmacies and veterinary centers, funded by mandatory Ecovalor contributions from pharmaceutical packagers under Extended Producer Responsibility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Waste Management Services

NAICS

Hazardous Waste Collection (562112), Waste Treatment and Disposal (5622), Waste Collection (56211)

SIC

Hazardous Waste Management (4955), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical & Biohazardous Waste Management (RMW, Sharps, Pathological) (EUAIAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regulated Medical Waste (RMW) Collection & Transport (BPALAGAA), Medical & Biohazardous Waste Transfer/Consolidation (EUAIABAF), Hazardous Waste Management (Collection/Treatment/Disposal) (IMAIAFAI)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical waste management
• Medication packaging collection
• Producer responsibility compliance
• Reverse logistics services
• Hazardous waste treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Algés

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ecovalor (Financial Contribution from Producers): The SIGREM system is funded through an annual financial contribution (prestação financeira) paid by packagers and/or those responsible for placing human and veterinary medicines and veterinary use products on the national market. The value in 2026 is €0.0166 per packaging placed on the market. This applies the Extended Producer Responsibility principle.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Valormed operates SIGREM, Portugal's integrated waste management system for collecting empty pharmaceutical packaging and expired/unused domestic medications from citizens through a network of community pharmacies, parapharmacies, and veterinary collection centers. The service includes reverse logistics transport by pharmaceutical distributors, sorting at licensed operators, recycling of packaging materials (paper, cardboard, plastic, glass), and energy recovery by incineration of medication residues, financed via the EcoValor per-packaging contribution paid by packagers.

Product overview

VALORMED is a non-profit society managing an integrated waste management system for pharmaceutical packaging and expired medications (SIGREM) in Portugal. The company operates a core collection network through pharmacies, parapharmacies, and veterinary centers, funded through the EcoValor financial mechanism. Additional offerings include the Pegada EcoMED eco-footprint calculator, awareness campaigns, and the Escolas de Valor educational program. Member management is handled through the VALORMED portal. The system celebrated its 25th anniversary in October 2024 and holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SIGREM (Sistema Integrado de Gestão de Resíduos de Embalagens e Medicamentos) Integrated waste management service for collecting and processing empty pharmaceutical packaging and expired/unused domestic medications from citizens through a network of community pharmacies, parapharmacies, and veterinary collection centers across Portugal, including reverse logistics transport, sorting, recycling of packaging materials, and energy recovery from medication residues. The service is licensed by APA and DGAE and serves pharmaceutical producers, distributors, pharmacies, and end consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% pharmacy coverage across Portugal
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ANF (Associação Nacional das Farmácias)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1999ANF represents retail pharmacies in Portugal and holds one-third of VALORMED's capital. Pharmacies serve as the most visible collection points of the SIGREM system, receiving waste from citizens and ensuring population and territorial coverage essential for achieving the system's objectives.
• APIFARMA (Associação Portuguesa da Indústria Farmacêutica)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999APIFARMA represents pharmaceutical production and packaging companies and holds one-third of VALORMED's capital. Pharmaceutical companies are the main funders of the SIGREM system through Ecovalor payments, representing the industry that creates the packaging waste.
• Groquifar (Associação de Grossistas de Produtos Químicos e Farmacêuticos)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1999Groquifar represents wholesale pharmaceutical distributors and holds one-third of VALORMED's capital alongside Adifa. Distributors provide operational logistics using reverse distribution circuits.
• Adifa (Associação de Distribuidores Farmacêuticos)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1999Adifa represents wholesale pharmaceutical distributors and holds one-third of VALORMED's capital alongside Groquifar. Distributors ensure logistics operations from pharmacies to storage facilities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cyclamed: France's pharma packaging and unused medicines take-back scheme under EPR, operated by pharma industry and distributors. Closest functional analog to Valormed, covering human medicines through pharmacy collection points nationwide.
• Sigre: Spain's integrated management system for packaging waste and unused medicines from households, financed via EPR contributions from pharma companies. Directly comparable mandate, funding mechanism, and pharmacy-based collection network.
• Remedi (Belgium): Belgian non-profit collecting expired medications and used sharps via pharmacies under an EPR-style arrangement. Comparable pharmacy-collection model, non-profit structure, and pharmaceutical industry funding base.

Regional players

• Stichting Zorg en Milieu: Dutch foundation coordinating take-back of unused medicines and related healthcare waste. Comparable nonprofit / foundation governance, but operating in the Netherlands rather than Portugal.
• Valorlux: Luxembourg's EPR scheme for packaging waste, including some pharmaceutical packaging categories. Similar non-profit, producer-funded governance model, but operating at much smaller scale and only in Luxembourg.

Broad incumbents

• Stericycle: Global provider of regulated waste management including medical and pharmaceutical waste streams. Broader portfolio of services across multiple waste types and geographies; overlapping end-market (healthcare/pharma waste) but not a producer-responsibility specialist.
• Veolia Environmental Services: Global environmental services group with hazardous and pharmaceutical waste treatment capabilities across Europe. Provides comparable downstream treatment services but as part of a much broader waste management portfolio.
• Clean Harbors: North American hazardous waste management company offering pharmaceutical and healthcare waste services. Operates in a similar regulatory/compliance-driven waste niche but in a different geographic market.
• Suez (Healthcare/Waste): International environmental services group offering regulated waste collection and treatment, including pharmaceutical waste streams in Europe. Competes at the treatment/operator layer rather than as an EPR scheme manager.

Emerging players

• Ecoembes: Spanish EPR system for household packaging waste (including pharma-adjacent categories). Comparable EPR funding logic and industry-managed non-profit governance, but a broader packaging scope rather than pharma-specific.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/valormed
• Facebookfacebook.com/Valormed-218365331532373
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/valormed-portugal
• Instagraminstagram.com/valormedpt/?fbclid=IwAR3xMoBj7XdlzgecWw0PTQwhtLpVyfqVmizkDzmr5gphuoACs1ocerJcvqM

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Valormed Portugal