Portugal’s Volta DRS launches with 2,500 reverse vending machines, making Southern Europe history

PORTUGAL – Portugal has launched the Volta deposit return system, becoming the first country in continental southern Europe to implement a full-scale DRS, with a €0.10 (approximately US$0.11) deposit on plastic bottles and metal cans under three litres.

The national scheme applies to single-use plastic drinks bottles and aluminium or steel cans, though glass containers are not included.

Volta is overseen by SDR Portugal – Associação de Embaladores, a government-licensed non-profit body, while Sensoneo supplies the IT system handling container registration, collection, reverse logistics, and financial clearing across the system.

A Milestone for Southern Europe

Portugal joins a growing list of European countries with national DRS, including Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Croatia, and the Netherlands.

However, it stands as the first in continental southern Europe, a region where deposit return has lagged behind northern counterparts.

According to Reloop, countries with DRS achieve recycling rates above 80 percent for covered containers, compared to an average of 45 percent in non-DRS European countries.

The operational setup required broader logistics integration involving multiple operators, additional warehouse management functions, and links with government systems for compliance with waste transport documentation rules.

Tomra Collection is supplying reverse vending equipment, while Dutch manufacturer Envipco is the sole supplier of bulk-feed systems for Volta.

How Volta Works

Consumers pay the deposit on each eligible container at purchase. The amount is repaid in full when returned at any authorised collection point, regardless of where it was bought, a feature designed to maximise convenience and participation.

This “anywhere return” model has driven participation rates above 90 percent in Germany and Norway.

Industry and Environmental Impact

Paulo Borges, managing director of Tomra Collection Portugal, explained that Portugal’s DRS is a transformative step toward a cleaner environment and a more circular economy.

He noted that making it easy for citizens to return drink containers reduces waste, improves material recovery, and accelerates the transition to a circular system.

Closing the Loop on Southern Europe

Portugal’s Volta scheme signals continued momentum for deposit return across Europe.

With the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation setting binding recycling targets for plastic beverage bottles, 77 percent by 2025 and 90 percent by 2029, DRS has become a proven policy tool for member states to meet these mandates.

As the first southern European country to flip the switch, Portugal now faces the real test: not whether machines can collect containers, but whether citizens will return them.

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