Hello, fellow Local Guides!
I hope you’re all doing great.
I’m excited to share a major step Portugal has taken toward sustainability. As of April 10, 2026, a mandatory plastic bottle and beverage can return system has officially launched nationwide.
Caption: This is a Reverse Vending Machine set up for depositing plastic bottles and metal cans. This photo was taken by me, @Roman_Ahmmed, at the ALDI Areeiro in Lisbon, Portugal.
Caption: Above all, those are Reverse Vending Machines set up for depositing plastic bottles and metal cans. And all these photos were taken by me, @Roman_Ahmmed, from several supermarkets in Lisbon, Portugal.
When you purchase a drink in bottles and cans, made of plastic, metal, and aluminum, with a capacity of less than 3 liters, with the return symbol (in Portuguese: Volta), you are required to pay a small deposit of €0.10 (ten cents). To get this money back, return the empty container to a Reverse Vending Machine (RVM), which can be found at most major supermarkets.
I was curious to see how the implementation was going, so I visited several supermarkets in my neighborhood to check out their new setups. I stopped by:
- Pingo Doce (Olaias)
- Pingo Doce (Avenida de Paris)
- My Auchan (Avenida Guerra Junqueiro)
- Continente (Avenida de Paris)
- ALDI (Areeiro)
- Lidl (Penha de França)
I found that all of them have installed dedicated machines, usually near the entrance or in the parking area. I took some photos (see above) to show you what these machines look like and how easy they are to use.
After feeding your bottles into the machine, it prints a voucher that can be transferred to a user account, deducted at the point of sale, or refunded in cash, and used for discounts on your groceries.
Transition period:
On April 10th, the first packages with the volta symbol began to appear. Until August 9th, 2026.
Caption: A screenshot from the Sistema de Depósito e Reembolso (SDR) shows the points and kiosks’ locations across Portugal.
After visiting several supermarkets here in Lisbon, I’ve started spotting products with the Volta return symbol. The transition is happening gradually, but by August 9th, compliance becomes mandatory, and all eligible products will be required to feature the symbol.
On May 31, 2026, I had an experience with the Volta recycling machine at the Aldi supermarket in Areeiro, Lisbon:
- I deposited a 1.5-liter empty plastic bottle into the machine and received a shopping voucher for 10 cents.
- This voucher is valid for one year and can be used for purchases at Aldi stores.
- During my shopping trip, the barcode on the voucher was scanned, and the 10-cent credit was deducted from my total bill.
They also launched an application called Volta, available for download on the App Store and Google Play Store.
If you are visiting Portugal, keep your bottles or cans! It’s a great way to save a little money while helping keep the country clean.
Happy guiding, and remember to stay safe!
, as I’ve always heard how incredibly organized and strict Japan’s recycling is too!
obrigado