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150 Million Containers In, Portugal's Volta Deposit-Return Scheme Becomes Mandatory

150 Million Containers In, Portugal's Volta Deposit-Return Scheme Becomes Mandatory

Portugal's deposit-return system for single-use drinks packaging, branded Volta , crossed a symbolic threshold this weekend: more than 150 million bottles and cans have been handed back since the scheme launched, and from Sunday, 9 August,...

The Portugal Brief 09 Aug 2026

The green-glass tower of the Ministerio do Trabalho e Seguranca Social at Praca de Londres in Lisbon, seen from below against a blue sky

Joining Voluntary Social Insurance in Portugal

Who can join, the contribution brackets, the 26.9 percent rate, the application form, and the pension it actually builds.

The Portugal Brief 09 Aug 2026

Green, blue and yellow recycling containers (ecopontos) for glass, paper and plastic-and-metal standing on a Portuguese street

With Two Landfills Almost Full, the Government Plans a Waste-to-Energy Plant for the Algarve

The Algarve sends about 85% of its rubbish to landfill and its two sites are nearly full. On a visit to Faro, the environment minister set out the government's answer: a waste-to-energy plant, with a tender to study the site and technology due on 15 October. Critics warn it could undercut recycling.

The Portugal Brief 09 Aug 2026

A yellow and grey Metro do Porto tram running on an open-air track under a bright summer sky, bound for Estadio do Dragao

Porto's Oldest Metro Cars Lose Their Air-Conditioning Above 35°C, and the Government Admits a Fix Is Years Away

In a written answer to Parliament, the government has admitted that Metro do Porto's 72 oldest Eurotram carriages lose their air-conditioning above about 35°C. Rather than scrap the fleet, it is fitting new compressors to 20 units and buying 22 new trains — a fix measured in years, not weeks.

The Portugal Brief 09 Aug 2026

Spain and Italy Trade Passport Checks Over Ceuta — and Schengen's Open Borders Fray Around Portugal

Spain and Italy Trade Passport Checks Over Ceuta — and Schengen's Open Borders Fray Around Portugal

From midnight Saturday, Spain is checking passports on arrivals from Italy, retaliating in a Ceuta-driven border spat. It leaves Portugal's frequent flyers a plain lesson: inside Schengen, open borders are more conditional than they look.

The Portugal Brief 08 Aug 2026

Benfica Petitions Parliament to Suspend Portugal's Centralized Football TV-Rights Model

Benfica Petitions Parliament to Suspend Portugal's Centralized Football TV-Rights Model

Benfica has petitioned parliament to suspend the centralized-sale model that would pool and share out Portuguese football's TV rights from 2028/29 — a collective approach the biggest clubs fear will shrink their cut.

The Portugal Brief 08 Aug 2026

State Auditors Question Long-Standing RTP Bonuses, Freezing Extra Pay for About 300 Staff

State Auditors Question Long-Standing RTP Bonuses, Freezing Extra Pay for About 300 Staff

A preliminary audit by the Inspeção-Geral de Finanças flags supplements paid to about a fifth of RTP's staff. The broadcaster has frozen new awards and says the perks are rooted in a 2006 collective agreement — unions meet management to resist cuts.

The Portugal Brief 08 Aug 2026

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