SDR Portugal operates Southern Europe’s most advanced Deposit Return System

First continental Southern European country to introduce Deposit Return System

Customer

SDR Portugal is the licensed Managing Entity responsible for implementing and managing Portugal’s Deposit Return System for single-use beverage containers under three litres. The system operates under the Volta brand and covers plastic bottles, aluminium cans, and steel containers, helping Portugal build a more efficient, transparent, and circular model for beverage packaging collection and recycling.

As the official administrator of the Portuguese DRS, SDR Portugal coordinates the entire ecosystem of stakeholders, including producers, retailers, collection points, HoReCa establishments, logistics operators, counting and sorting centres, recyclers, and consumers. Its role is to ensure that the system works reliably at national scale, from the payment and refund of deposits to the return, transport, sorting, and recycling of containers.

Project description

Portugal officially launched its national Deposit Return System on April 10, 2026, marking a major milestone for circular economy development in Southern Europe. The system, branded volta, is operated by SDR Portugal and applies to single-use beverage containers under three litres made of plastic, aluminium, and steel, with a deposit value of €0.10 per container.

For SDR Portugal, the project represents a complex nationwide operation designed around accessibility, transparency, and efficiency. Consumers pay a deposit when purchasing an eligible beverage and receive it back after returning the empty container to a registered collection point. Returned containers are then transported to counting and sorting centres, where they are prepared for high-quality recycling and reintegration into the production cycle.

Portugal’s DRS is particularly significant because it makes the country the first continental Southern European nation to implement a nationwide Deposit Return System. While Malta introduced a DRS in 2022, Portugal’s scale, geography, retail structure, and strong HoReCa participation make SDR Portugal’s operation an important reference model for larger neighbouring markets such as Spain, France, and Italy.

To support the operation, SDR Portugal selected Sensoneo as the IT technology partner for the system. Sensoneo’s platform provides the digital backbone for end-to-end DRS processes, including container registration, collection, reverse logistics, financial clearing, warehouse management, transport coordination, and stakeholder applications.

One of the most distinctive operational features of SDR Portugal’s system is its strong integration of the HoReCa sector. Hotels, restaurants, cafés, and catering establishments are part of the collection network, helping make container returns more accessible and supporting higher collection rates across the country. The system also reflects Portugal’s geographic complexity, including specific logistics models for remote and island regions such as the Azores and Madeira.

The digital ecosystem developed for SDR Portugal includes multiple applications for key participants, including consumers, retailers, drivers, and warehouse operators. The consumer-facing app helps users check packaging eligibility, find nearby collection points, and understand the return criteria, supporting a simple and convenient experience.

Sensoneo’s IT system will power the entire DRS infrastructure, covering all operational aspects, including the critical reverse logistics component known as the take-back system, ensuring efficient tracking, collection processes, and warehouse and transport management. The digital ecosystem will also include multiple mobile applications to enhance engagement and efficiency across stakeholders.
One of the most significant differentiators of Portugal’s DRS is its integration of the HoReCa sector—hotels, restaurants, and catering industry. Leveraging its experience from Malta, where HoReCa participation significantly contributed to the system’s efficiency, Sensoneo will optimize the process to ensure high collection rates across all participating venues.

Impact

With SDR Portugal at the centre of the national DRS operation, Portugal has introduced a system designed to increase recycling rates, improve material quality, reduce waste, and support the country’s transition toward a circular economy. SDR Portugal’s model helps ensure that beverage packaging is treated as valuable raw material rather than waste, enabling better recovery and reintegration into new packaging.

By combining SDR Portugal’s role as scheme administrator with Sensoneo’s IT infrastructure, Portugal’s Deposit Return System is positioned to become one of the most advanced and operationally transparent DRS implementations in Europe.