The Volta system brought a new routine for Portuguese consumers, who started paying a deposit on certain packaging of drinks and only recovering this amount if they return it to the appropriate points.
A person who buys a bottle of water daily and does not deposit the empty packaging can lose around €3 per month, or €36 per year, according to calculations by DECO PROteste cited by spokesperson Nuno Figueiredo.
The amount is the result of the 10 cent deposit applied to beverage packaging covered by the Volta system. The explains that this amount began to be charged from April 10th on drinks sold in plastic, ferrous metal or aluminum packaging, and can be refunded when the packaging is returned to an automatic or manual collection point.
What packaging is covered?
According to the same association, the new system applies to non-reusable primary beverage packaging made of plastic, ferrous metals and aluminum, with a volume equal to or less than three liters. These include, among others, mineral waters, spring waters, juices, nectars, soft drinks and concentrates for dilution.
The official Volta brand clarifies that covered products are identified with the Volta symbol. When the consumer buys a drink with this symbol, he pays the deposit, which is returned if he delivers the packaging empty, intact, complete and with the barcode readable at a Volta Point.
“A lot depends on each person’s consumption habits, but considering the example of a person who buys a bottle of water every day (and takes it with them); if they don’t deposit the empty packaging, they will lose around €3 per month or €36 per year”, said Nuno Figueiredo, spokesperson for DECO PROteste, to Notícias ao Minuto.
There are still doubts about starting the system
The system has been in force for around a month, but DECO PROteste considers that it is still too early to make a final assessment of how the program works. According to Nuno Figueiredo, “at the moment, it is still too early for us to be able to give a precise answer to each point, as the Volta system needs more operating time to start having more consolidated data”.
The consumer protection organization does not consider that there is a lack of information on the topic, return rules or the location of collection points. Still, he admits that doubts may arise until consumers gain practice, especially during the transition period.
“We do not consider that there is a lack of information on the topic, rules for returning packaging or locations of automatic collection points, as it is available on different communication channels and also in supermarkets.
However, until practice is gained, there may be doubts about the functioning of the system, particularly until the transition period (which lasts until August for the HORECA sector) is completed”, he adds.
According to the official Volta website, packaging is only accepted if it is intact, empty, complete, with a lid in the case of bottles, and with a legible barcode. If any of these criteria fail, the deposit amount may not be refunded.
Until August 9th, packaging of the same product with and without the Volta symbol can coexist. If the packaging does not have this marking, no deposit is charged and it will not be accepted at Volta Points.
The operation of automatic points is simple. The machine accepts one package at a time, reads it to confirm whether it belongs to the Volta system, collects the package and then presents refund options to the consumer.
Airports should also be considered
The application of the system at airports is one of the situations that DECO PROteste believes must be monitored. Nuno Figueiredo recalls that, in other countries with similar systems, there are solutions so that passengers can empty their bottles before the security control without losing the deposit amount.
“An example of what happens in countries that have had this system implemented for a long time is allowing people to pour the liquid contents of the bottles into their own container, so as not to have to throw the packaging away or lose the deposit amount; they can then refill the water bottles at refill points throughout the airport.”
“We consider that the existence of this system makes perfect sense, both during departures and arrivals, since when purchasing at the airport, consumers pay the deposit”, added the association’s spokesperson.
Not everyone will have the same ease
SDR Portugal, the entity responsible for implementing and managing the Deposit and Refund System in the country, explains that the Volta model applies to single-use beverage packaging of less than three liters, namely plastic, metal and aluminum bottles and cans.
Volta also indicates that consumers can return packaging at around 2,500 Volta Points, with automatic collection, in super and hypermarkets, at the 50 Volta Kiosks present in 38 municipalities and also in cafes, restaurants, bars and similar places where the packaging was purchased.
Despite this, DECO PROteste warns that the system must be well monitored to ensure that all consumers are able to recover the tank without excessive displacement. “We cannot have citizens who cannot recover the value of the deposit in a simple and expeditious way, without having to travel several kilometers to do so”, defended Nuno Figueiredo.
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