Deposit Return System · Portugal · Since 10 April 2026
The DRS works best when more containers come back. The remaining question: where does the rest go?
Unreclaimed deposits · projection
in deposits paid by consumers and not reclaimed. System revenue, with no path back to those who paid.
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garrafas_em_scope × (1 − taxa) × caução- FAQ oficial SDR Portugal · SDR Portugal
- Despacho n.º 432/2026, de 15 de janeiro · Diário da República, 2.ª série, N.º 10
Raw materials · sold by the system
in PET, aluminium and steel recovered and sold. Legitimate revenue — funds the DRS and offsets packager fees.
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Σ tonelagem × tempo × taxa × preço/t- Estimativas de tonelagens SDR Portugal (citadas via ECO Sapo) · ECO Sapo
- ICIS — comentários ao mercado europeu de rPET (2025) · Recycling Today / Packaging Europe
- LME Aluminium UBC Scrap (Argus benchmark) · London Metal Exchange
- Global scrap prices end 2025 — comentário Q4 · GMK Center
Total retained by the system
sum of system revenue outside reimbursements.
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depósito_não_reclamado + valor_matéria_prima- Estimativas de tonelagens SDR Portugal (citadas via ECO Sapo) · ECO Sapo
- Despacho n.º 432/2026, de 15 de janeiro · Diário da República, 2.ª série, N.º 10
At full coverage, the system captures €146M/year in unredeemed deposits and recovered material. No public mechanism forces redistribution to the consumer.
What these figures don't measure
The cost of the DRS is not only monetary. Practical friction falls hardest on those least able to absorb it — and shows up in none of the numbers above.
Who is most affected
- Regressive cost in time and travel €0.10 per container is negligible for higher incomes and disincentivises returning. The disproportionate burden falls on those who use public transport, shop on foot, or don't have an RVM near home.
- Penalises those who already recycled The Volta stream is added on top of the existing 3 recycling bins (glass, paper, plastic/metal) — it does not simplify them. People who used to separate into 3 streams now separate into 4, with extra rules: don't crush, keep the label intact, make a dedicated trip.
- Uneven learning curve Older users and those with less digital literacy are at a disadvantage with RVMs and voucher flows — and therefore less likely to reclaim the deposit they paid.
When the system fails
- Breakdowns, queues, low throughput One-at-a-time insertion and frequent breakdown reports inflate the practical cost well beyond the theoretical minutes per drop-off. A broken RVM can stay down for up to 72 hours before mandatory manual fallback.
- Deposit lost when the machine rejects Containers the RVM rejects (crushed, missing label, in poor condition) go to the yellow recycling bin — and the deposit the consumer paid is considered forfeited.
- Voucher by default; cash only if the retailer agrees The refund is issued as a discount voucher tied to the retailer. Cash conversion or electronic transfer depends on the establishment — not all offer it.
Volume with Volta mark · effective scope
bottles and cans with the Volta mark consumed in the same period (linear adoption ramp 0%→100% until 10 Aug 2026).