Portugal Launches Volta Deposit-Return System — Pay 10 Cents Per Bottle, Get It Back at the Machine

Portugal's new deposit-return system for single-use beverage containers went live on 10 April, adding a 10-cent surcharge to every plastic bottle and metal can sold in the country — refundable at reverse vending machines branded under the name Volta.

The system, formally known as the Sistema de Depósito e Reembolso (SDR), covers non-reusable plastic and metal beverage containers of up to three litres. That includes water, juices, soft drinks, energy drinks, beer, and other packaged beverages. Tetra Pak cartons and glass bottles are excluded for now, though Environment Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho said the government has approved extending the scheme to glass packaging in a future phase.

How It Works

Every container covered by the system carries the Volta symbol and a barcode. When consumers buy a drink, they pay an additional 10 European cents on top of the retail price. To recover the deposit, they return the empty container to one of the reverse vending machines installed at supermarkets, petrol stations, and other collection points across the country.

Norway-based Tomra Systems, one of the world's largest reverse vending machine manufacturers, confirmed it is supplying machines to the Portuguese network. Slovakia-based Sensoneo is providing the software platform that tracks container flows and manages reimbursements. According to Sensoneo, Portugal's system is notable for its high number of hospitality-sector collection points — bars, restaurants, and hotels can return containers in bulk without consumer-facing machines.

A Transition Period

SDR Portugal, the entity managing the Volta system, has warned that during the initial weeks some containers may look identical on the shelf but carry different markings. Bottles and cans produced before the system's launch will not display the Volta symbol and were not sold with the 10-cent deposit — meaning they cannot be returned for a refund. The company advises consumers to check for the Volta logo before attempting to return a container.

Retailers with a sales area of more than 200 square metres are legally required to install collection points. Smaller shops are not obligated but may opt in voluntarily.

Targets and Context

Portugal's DRS arrives more than four years behind its original schedule. The system was first mandated under Decree-Law 152-D/2017, which transposed the EU's Single-Use Plastics Directive into Portuguese law. Implementation was repeatedly delayed by licensing disputes, technology procurement, and the Covid-19 pandemic.

The government has set a collection target of 90 per cent of all covered containers by 2029, in line with EU requirements. Based on the experience of countries that have already implemented deposit-return systems — including Germany, the Netherlands, and the Nordic states — Portugal expects collection rates to reach 70 to 80 per cent within the first two years.

Portugal currently recycles approximately 40 per cent of its plastic packaging waste, according to Eurostat data — below the EU average of 46 per cent. The DRS is expected to significantly improve that figure, particularly for PET bottles and aluminium cans, which have high recycling value but low collection rates when disposed of through mixed waste bins.

What It Means for Consumers

For households, the immediate impact is a 10-cent increase in the shelf price of every covered beverage — fully recoverable if the container is returned intact, uncrushed, and with its barcode readable. The system does not apply to refillable bottles already covered by existing return schemes, nor to containers purchased before 10 April that lack the Volta marking.

Environment Minister Carvalho described the launch as one of Portugal's largest environmental projects, calling it a structural shift in how the country handles packaging waste. The government estimates the system will prevent tens of thousands of tonnes of plastic and metal from entering landfill or the natural environment each year.