Portugal DRS launches

On 10 April 2026, Portugal officially launched its deposit return scheme (DRS) for single-use drink containers. Portugal is the 19th European country to implement such a system and the first sizeable market in Southern Europe to adopt a DRS. 

 

Under the new system, branded volta and managed by SDR Portugal, consumers will pay a ten-cent deposit when purchasing eligible drink containers, including aluminium and steel cans (up to 3L)and PET plastic bottles, and receive a full refund when those containers are returned via designated collection points. Retail stores larger than 400 square meters are required to accept all packaging covered by the DRS, choosing between automatic or manual collection. 

 

To power Portugal’s DRS with world-class collection technology, Tomra Collection is providing its reverse vending solutions that make bottle and can returns fast, convenient and reliable for consumers, retailers and system operators alike. The company has over 50 years of experience in deposit return systems, over 91,000 reverse vending machines installed internationally and collects over 53 billion drink containers annually.   

 

“We are proud to support Portugal’s transition to a circular economy by bringing Tomra’s trusted reverse vending technology to the heart of the national deposit return scheme,” said Paulo Borges, managing director at Tomra Collection Portugal. “Our focus has been on delivering solutions that are user-friendly for consumers, efficient for retailers, and designed to support the ambitious collection targets set for Portugal.”  

 

Portugal’s DRS is expected to significantly increase drink container collection and material quality, further reducing litter and dependency on virgin resources while contributing to national and EU recycling targets.  

 

As momentum builds across Southern Europe, Thomas Morgenstern, vice president of public affairs – head of Europe and Central Asia at Tomra, underscored that Portugal’s DRS will send a powerful message across the Iberian Peninsula. “Circular economy solutions for drink containers are moving from policy ambition to operational reality. Portugal is ready to serve as a lighthouse model for the region, demonstrating leadership, ambition and determination to deliver high-performing collection and recycling rates at scale, while significantly reducing terrestrial and marine litter,” he said. 

 

The legislation provides a 120-day transition period for stores designated as return locations to meet the new operational requirements. This timeframe is intended to support these locations in preparing their return infrastructure, rather than addressing beverage producers’ labelling obligations. Pre-DRS products can still be sold for a limited time: producers have up to 60 days, while wholesalers and distributors have up to 90 days. After 120 days, only DRS-compliant products will be allowed on the market.