Lisbon, March 5, 2026 (Lusa) - The new deposit-return system (SDR), called "Volta" in Portuguese, aims to recycle 90% of single-use plastic and aluminium drinks containers by 2029, officials said at the official launch of the brand in Lisbon.
From 10 April, the system will consist of depositing plastic bottles and cans of up to three litres in machines, with a refund of 10 cents for each item deposited. It does not apply to glass bottles, cardboard packaging or other plastics.
At a ceremony attended by the minister for the environment, Maria da Graça Carvalho, the chairman of the board of SDR Portugal (the entity responsible for implementing and managing the system), Leonardo Mathias, and Lia Oliveira, director of Marketing and Communication, explained that the project's target is the 2.1 billion plastic bottles and aluminium cans used each year.
Recalling that the system has already been in place in some countries for 40 years, achieving a 90% collection rate, Leonardo Mathias also pointed out that the SDR should be ready in 2022 and assured that its implementation will contribute to the packaging collection and recycling targets that the country has to meet.
Those responsible hope that it will have an impact on urban cleanliness, enabling better recycling and reducing landfill disposal, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting the circular economy.
For each item of packaging placed in one of the 2,500 machines and 48 kiosks across the country, located near supermarkets, for example, consumers receive the equivalent of 10 cents, which can be converted into cash, discounts or donated to a charity. The packaging is then taken to recycling points.
Starting next month, the official stressed, the Portuguese must change a 30-year-old habit and instead of flattening the packaging, they must place it whole and without liquids in the machines and not in recycling bins.
However, he noted that each piece of packaging must be intact, have the Volta symbol, have a lid and have a clearly visible barcode.
According to officials, from April there will be an app to help consumers with any questions they may have. A thousand machines have already been installed and 14 kiosks (with greater capacity) are under construction.
Until August, packaging with and without the Volta symbol should coexist, and the aim is that by the end of the year, "the habit of including Volta into everyday life" will become normalised. On Thursday, a communication campaign about the new system will begin.
FP/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
