In 2025, the costs associated with packaging collection will increase significantly, as a result of a new measure implemented by the Government. Producers, packers and distributors start paying twice as much to municipalities for collection services, which can impact final prices for consumers.
According to the industry, this increase represents an additional burden of 113 million euros, potentially reflected in product prices in supermarkets. However, the Water and Waste Services Regulatory Authority () estimated that, in most cases, the increase will be less than one cent per product.
Impact on prices
According to ‘Jornal de Negócios’, ERSAR analyzed the impact of this measure on a basket of essential goods. The result indicates that the update of counterparts for 2025 will have a weight of 0.8% on the final price of the products, translating into an estimated average increase of 0.4 percentage points. Ecovalue values, that is, the environmental cost attributed to packaging, should increase between 0.1 and 4.2 cents per unit.
Products analyzed
The basket of products evaluated by ERSAR includes:
- Beer bottles (33 cl)
- Bottles of olive oil (0.75 l)
- Sugar packets (1 kg)
- Spaghetti (1 kg)
- Sausage cans (10 units)
- Nut preserve (120 g)
- Laundry detergent packaging
- Skimmed milk (1 l)
- Yogurts (4×125 g)
- Water bottles (1.5 l)
In 2010, this set of recyclable products cost 19 euros, and the ecovalue represented five cents. In 2023, the same basket was valued at 29 euros, with an ecovalue of 12 cents. In 2025, the price should increase to 29.61 euros, with an ecovalue of 23 cents.
Products with greater eco-value
The items with the greatest weight in ecovalue include:
- Laundry detergent: 4.2 cents per package
- Oil: 3.1 cents per bottle
- Beer: 1.2 cents per unit
Other products recorded increases of less than one cent, maintaining a reduced impact on final prices.
What to expect
Although the increase in eco-value may be perceived as an additional cost measure, experts highlight that the overall impact on prices will be limited. However, this policy reinforces the importance of rethinking consumption habits and promoting more sustainable practices in the use and disposal of packaging.
With production and distribution costs constantly evolving, both the industry and consumers are expected to adapt to this new scenario, where sustainability and environmental impact play a central role in defining prices.
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