Latest news and stories about recycling in government in Portugal for expats and residents.
Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas has formally requested that the government immediately cancel the Volta packaging deposit system. The program, which refunds 10 cents for returned single-use containers, has been criticized by the mayor as an environmental policy that has devolved into an unprecedented social drama for the city's residents.
Amid public opposition and an escalating petition for its termination, SDR Portugal has submitted a 14-measure proposal across four key pillars to the Ministry of the Environment. The plan aims to alleviate machine bottlenecks at supermarkets by enhancing coordination among waste management, urban cleaning, and municipal stakeholders.
Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas is urging the Portuguese government to abandon the 'Volta' recycling deposit system, citing social issues and urban waste problems, while the government maintains the system is a necessary European obligation.
The Volta system management entity has lowered its 2026 packaging collection target to 40%, sparking criticism from municipal associations over the regulatory change and a lack of transparency regarding compensation.
The country is set to fall short of its glass recycling goals for the current year.
The failure to meet glass packaging recycling targets in Portugal is due, “above all, to a lack of investment in collection”.
ERP Portugal raises concerns about the country's progress in meeting established European Union goals for the collection and recycling of electronic waste.
Portugal failed to meet the established goals for the recycling and collection of electrical and electronic equipment during the year 2025.
The Deposit Return System in Portugal has hit the milestone of 500 million containers processed and has submitted a proposal for a new cooperation framework.
Portugal is collecting and treating less than half the amount of electronic waste required under European targets, according to environmental association ZERO, which has described the country’s management of e-waste The post Portugal recycling just half its e-waste target, warns ZERO appeared first on Portugal Resident.
A new Government incentive starts on December 1st and provides discounts of up to 35 euros on the purchase of household appliances. For fast tech, Zero proposes a deposit and refund system similar to Volta.
Leonardo Mathias argues: despite the controversy, Volta is not a political matter. Is action needed? The president of SDR Portugal says yes, but the collaboration of municipalities, such as Albufeira, is necessary.
The mayor does not reveal whether, as a commissioner, he opposed the proposal to implement a deposit refund system. However, he participated in the meeting where the Juncker Commission approved the directive without reservations.
Every year, Portugal pays Brussels around 200 million euros for failing to meet plastic recycling targets. In Expresso da Manhã, Paulo Baldaia speaks with journalist Carla Tomás, who investigated how Volta is functioning within the context of the mandatory recycling the country must perform.
What is trash to some is, for David, Jorge, António, Maria, and Rasham, often the difference between eating and not eating. Volta has created a new form of income for those experiencing homelessness, but it has also brought conflicts, scattered litter, and machines that do not always work. Between those who collect, those who clean, and those who receive the packaging, this is a portrait of a city where every bottle is worth ten cents.
The mayors of the AML, meeting in the Metropolitan Council, unanimously condemned the “harmful” social and environmental effects of the packaging deposit system.
The municipalities of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML) unanimously contested the Volta packaging system today, arguing that it is not working and has harmful social and environmental effects, while advocating for an urgent review.
Opposition to the Deposit and Return System (SDR) has intensified in recent days, with the Mayor of Lisbon even calling for the suspension of the process, which has already prompted a refusal from the Government. It is in this context that Volta's new campaign hits the streets, which...
Moedas suggests that Portugal should emulate France's approach to recycling, but notes that this would require recycling bins to collect over 80% of packaging.
Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas has called on the government to immediately scrap Portugal’s Volta bottle and can deposit-return scheme, claiming it has created serious social and urban hygiene problems in The post Lisbon mayor calls for end of Volta recycling scheme appeared first on Portugal Resident.
A recycling and reuse policy “is necessary”, states the Social Democrat Carlos Moedas. But “it should be neither a tax nor a social drama”.
A petition calling for the end of the 'Volta' deposit and refund system for packaging has surpassed 37,000 signatures. The petition, which is awaiting parliamentary review, argues that the system transfers costs to consumers, lacks transparency, and fails to meet its environmental goals. While the government acknowledges initial implementation challenges, such as littering and public disorder, it maintains that the system is a necessary European standard for recycling. The petitioners are demanding an immediate suspension of the current model and an independent audit of the managing entity, SDR Portugal.
Various organisations are advocating for equitable financial support to promote the reuse of packaging materials across Portugal.
Associations, local authorities, and circular economy companies want 5% of the contributions paid by packaging producers to be allocated to reuse, invoking the polluter-pays principle.
France has decided against implementing a mandatory bottle deposit scheme, moving in the opposite direction to the policy adopted in Portugal.
The APA presented a report on the first few months. 242.6 million packages have already been returned. The estimated performance of the system is at 38%, very close to the 39% target set for this year.
The Minister of Environment admitted today that there are problems in the implementation of the Volta System, specifically due to the disposal of packaging on public roads, assuring that the identified situations are being analysed and resolved on a case-by-case basis.
