SDR
Published 8 November 2026, 20:40
Sistema de Depósito e Reembolso
The official name of the deposit return scheme for single-use drinks containers; in shops and on packaging it goes by the brand name Volta. The rules are set out in Article 30.º-A onwards of Decreto-Lei n.º 152-D/2017, and the deposit of 10 cents per container was set by Despacho n.º 432/2026 of 15 January 2026. The scheme is run by the non-profit association SDR Portugal, funded by drinks producers.
Where you come across it. Documents from shops and cafés, explanations from government agencies, contracts with drinks suppliers.
Whether a shop must take back containers depends on its floor area: shops of 400 m² or more must take all containers in the scheme; those of 50 to 400 m² must take at least the ones they sell; those under 50 m² may refuse altogether.
Official website: sdrportugal.pt