Shortly, Fill the car with bottles of water, soft drinks, or cans of beer. It won't be exactly the same as before. In Spain, a system is being finalized whereby you'll pay a small deposit for each container and only get it back if you return it to the supermarket or authorized collection points.
This model, known as Deposit, Return and Refund System (DRRS)This system has been operating for years in several European countries and has begun to be implemented in Portugal as well, where even Spanish chains like Mercadona have machines that refund money directly to bank cards. Spain, which has not met the recycling targets set by the European Union, is legally obligated to follow this path in the coming months.
Why you'll have to pay a deposit for bottles and cans
The origin of this change lies in the Law 7/2022 on waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy and in Royal Decree 1055/2022 on packaging. Both regulations transpose the European directive on single-use plastics into the Spanish framework and set very specific targets for the separate collection of plastic beverage bottles up to three liters.
The law stated that in By 2023, Spain was supposed to recover at least 70% of these bottlesHowever, the official report from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) puts the collection rate at just 41,3%. In absolute numbers, 214.039 tons of single-use plastic beverage bottles were placed on the market, and only slightly less than 90.000 tons were collected separately through municipal systems and supplementary collection programs.
Since the minimum requirement is not met, the next legal step is automatically activated: to implement a deposit, refund and return system throughout the national territory within a maximum period of two years from the verification of the non-compliance. This timeframe places the start of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) around November 2026, with the added obligation to achieve a 90% collection rate by weight a few years later.
Behind all of this is also community pressure. Directive (EU) 2019/904 The European strategy on plastics mandates a reduction in litter and improved recycling of beverage containers. If Spain fails to act, it risks sanctions and increased environmental and economic costs due to inefficient waste management.
How the deposit system works in practice
The mechanics are relatively simple: When you buy a packaged drink you will pay a small extra A deposit will be charged for the packaging. This amount will appear itemized on the receipt, separate from the product price, and will not be a tax, as you will be able to recover it in full.
Royal Decree 1055/2022 states that The deposit per container must be equal to or greater than 10 centsIn other words, the authorized system will have some leeway in setting the amount, but it cannot be below that minimum. For the consumer, this means that a six-pack of bottles will cost at least 60 cents more, and a single can will add those extra 10 cents at the time of purchase.
The refund will be made when Return the empty container in good condition at a collection point. The regulations provide for several options: direct in-store pickup, returns via vending machines (the familiar return machines), or possible dedicated collection centers. Supermarkets and stores that sell these beverages will be required to participate in the system, with some special conditions for smaller premises, up to 120 square meters of sales area.
The refund may take different forms: shopping voucher, discount at the store or direct refundIn the case of Portugal, for example, the machines installed in Mercadona supermarkets allow the payment to be credited immediately to the bank card, and it is expected that similar solutions combined with coupons and loyalty cards will be explored in Spain.
An important detail is that the packaging cannot be delivered just any way. The system will require that bottles and cans with deposits are identified with specific labeling and in a condition that allows them to be read and validated. Crushing them or tearing off the label, something very common nowadays when they are thrown in the yellow bin, can prevent the machine from recognizing them and, therefore, from refunding the deposit.
Which containers are included in the deposit return scheme and which are excluded?
The scope of the new system is quite limited. According to Spanish regulations, The deposit return scheme will apply to beverage containers up to three liters., primarily in plastic (PET) formats, metal cans and cardboard beverage containers (the well-known cartons), considered light packagingAlthough there are nuances and debate here.
The list of affected beverages includes, among others, Mineral and spring waters, soft drinks, juices and nectars, energy and isotonic drinks and alcoholic beverages up to three liters. The goal is for a large portion of the beverages consumed daily to enter a cycle in which the packaging has a clear economic value for the consumer.
In Spain, the Royal Decree also plans to incorporate the cardboard beverage containers This circuit includes plastic bottles and cans. However, some stakeholders in the sector, including those from the SDDR association for Spain, question this inclusion and point out that in other European countries, the system is limited to PET and metal, not yet incorporating beverage cartons.
In Portugal, for example, the Volta system has been designed in its first phase only for single-use metal containers and plastic bottles up to three liters, identified with their own logo. There, the consumer pays a 10-cent deposit when buying and gets it back only if they return the container to one of the designated points in good condition.
Portugal takes the lead: machines in supermarkets and border coordination
While Spain is still refining its model, the system is already operational in Portugal. It will be in place from April 2026. The Portuguese SDDR works under the Volta brand, managed by a single entity, SDR Portugal, and includes plastic and metal beverage containers up to three liters, with a deposit of 10 cents per unit.
The implementation in the neighboring country is especially relevant because it involves a border market that shares many products and packaging with Spainwith common labeling and distribution chains operating on both sides of the border. In Mercadona supermarkets in cities like Caldas da Rainha or Lisbon, Volta machines allow customers to deposit empty cans and bottles and receive a refund directly to their bank card, in addition to other options such as discount vouchers.
Representatives of the SDDR association for Spain have already held meetings with the Portuguese organization to analyze how to coordinate systems in border areas And what elements could be copied from the Portuguese model, especially regarding the consumer experience? Their idea is that, as far as possible, the Spanish system should resemble the Portuguese one in that "public-facing" aspect, to make it easier for users to understand and accept the change.
The case of Portugal also illustrates this. the deadlines and difficulties of implementationThe first Portuguese law mandating the introduction of a deposit return scheme (DRS) dates back to 2018 and aimed to have it ready by 2022; the final regulation arrived in 2024, and the system was not implemented until 2026. The Spanish sector cites this timeline to argue that it is difficult to establish in just a few months what could be the largest and most complex container return system in Europe.
At the same time, the Portuguese experience confirms the potential effect on urban cleanliness. Forecasts indicate that, with a 10-cent deposit, There will always be someone willing to collect the abandoned bottles and cans.because they represent a small source of income. This, combined with intensive information campaigns, could significantly improve the condition of litter bins, streets, and natural spaces in Spain as well.
Who will manage the system in Spain and what role will commerce play?
One of the issues that remains unresolved in Spain is who will be responsible for coordinating the SDDR at the state levelThe law refers to extended producer responsibility systems, but allows for specific entities to manage the daily operations of collecting and returning the deposit, the collection logistics, and the final recycling.
Several organizations have applied so far, including Ecoembes, the SDDR association for Spain, Corepet and ProcircularThe Community of Madrid, where these entities are headquartered, must authorize those who will ultimately be able to operate the system. This procedure has been ongoing for almost a year, and the sector is awaiting an imminent response so that it can move forward with the technical aspects.
Unlike Portugal, where there is a single managing entityIn Spain, the possibility of several competing operators coexisting is being considered, always under the coordination of a body that could be private, public, or a combination of both. The associations involved argue that competition can be positive, but only if it is clearly regulated to avoid overlaps and loopholes.
Businesses, for their part, will be forced to integrate the return of packaging into your daily operationsLarge supermarkets will have to set up specific areas for return machines or for the manual delivery of containers, manage the flow of empty boxes, and coordinate transport to Treatment plants and adapt their collection systems to incorporate the deposit and its return.
For small shops, the challenge is different: available space and administrative burden They weigh much more. Therefore, the regulations stipulate that specific conditions may be applied to businesses with less than 120 m² of sales area, so that their participation in the system is viable without disrupting their daily operations.
Impact on the consumer's wallet and changes in habits
From the buyer's point of view, the most visible change is that Packaged drinks will seem more expensiveEach bottle of water, soda, juice, or beer will incur at least an additional 10 cents, and for larger purchases, the amount will quickly increase. A cart loaded with packs of cans and bottles can easily add several euros to the deposit.
That money, however, You don't lose anything if you return the containersThe idea is that the deposit acts as a reminder in your pocket: if you don't return the bottles and cans to the supermarket or the designated machine, you lose the money. In other countries where the system is well-established, such as Germany, this financial incentive has achieved return rates exceeding 90%, and even approaching 98% when the deposit is higher.
For many households, this will mean organize a small space at home to collect empty containers until the next trip to the supermarket. It will also mean a change of routine: instead of throwing the bottle in the yellow recycling bin when it's empty, you'll have to keep it whole, with its code still legible, and return it later. It's not a particularly complicated gesture, but it breaks with deeply ingrained habits.
Consumer associations and the managing entities themselves point out that An intensive information and education campaign will be needed. To explain how the system works, which containers require a deposit, where refunds can be obtained, and what remains the same (such as using the yellow bin for other containers). Clear labeling will be essential to avoid confusion, fraud, or frustration among users.
The system is also expected to have some social impact: People who collect cans and bottles on the street today They might see depositing containers as a more stable source of income. This is a phenomenon already observed in countries with established deposit return systems, where some of the discarded containers end up being returned by people specifically seeking that financial return.
Will the yellow bin disappear with the new system?
One of the recurring fears is that the deposit return system will completely replace the current recycling model based on colored containers. The Ministry and the entities involved insist that the yellow container will continue to exist and will maintain its function for many types of containers that do not fit in the deposit, such as trays, wrappers or certain containers not included in the beverage list.
What changes is that a portion of the packaging that now goes into the yellow bin Plastic bottles and beverage cans—and presumably some cartons—will first go through the deposit and return system. The idea is that these containers will be collected more efficiently, with fewer contaminants (inappropriate waste), and will arrive cleaner at the recycling plants.
In this way, the SDDR and the yellow container will be two complementary tools within the same waste management system. The deposit aims to address the percentage of packaging that is still lost in mixed waste, in incinerators, or directly into the environment, while the yellow bin will remain the primary route for many other packaged products.
The authorities insist that this coexistence must be clearly explained. avoid the feeling that everything changes suddenlyUntil the new system is fully implemented, the recommendation is to continue using the current containers as usual and to pay attention to the appearance of containers with the deposit symbol and to the instructions that will be communicated by the institutions.
The Canary Islands and other territories with special logistical challenges
The deployment of the SDDR will not be equally simple everywhere. Island territories such as the Canary Islands They face added challenges due to their geographical condition: the costs of transporting waste to the Peninsula, the dispersion between islands and the limited availability of space in many shops.
In the archipelago, tourism is multiplying significantly. the consumption of bottled water and canned soft drinksThis translates into a generation of packaging far exceeding that of the resident population. Properly managing this waste is key to protecting the natural environment, which is, in fact, one of the islands' main economic assets.
Implementing the SDDR in the Canary Islands will require adapt logistics to the local reality: design inter-island collection routes, enable specific solutions for small businesses in highly concentrated tourist areas and assess the development of treatment infrastructure within the archipelago itself to reduce travel.
The experience of other European island territories where the system has already been implemented suggests that, despite the difficulties, The environmental benefits can be especially relevant.As return rates increase and material quality improves, the presence of waste on beaches, natural spaces and urban areas decreases, something especially sensitive in tourist destinations.
In any case, both in the Canary Islands and in the rest of the country, the success of the system will depend on good coordination between administrations, operators and tradeas well as the ability to integrate the depot into the daily routine of residents and visitors.
The implementation of a deposit return system for bottles and cans in supermarkets will mark a turning point in how beverages are purchased and disposed of in Spain. The country has reached this point driven by its failure to meet European targets and with the nearby example of Portugal, where return machines are already a common sight in the retail landscape. If institutional coordination works, doubts about management are clarified, and the system is accompanied by clear campaigns, the deposit return system can turn each container into a small economic resource that encourages its return. reduce scattered waste and bring recycling rates closer to the levels required by Brusselswithout neglecting the role of the yellow container and the other well-known systems.
