Discounts vary between 20 and 35 euros, depending on the type of equipment. The program comes into effect in December.
Consumers will receive discounts between 20 and 35 euros when purchasing new household appliances and televisions by handing over old equipment for recycling.
The measure was made official through an ordinance published in the Official Gazette of the Union and provides, in a first phase of two years, financing provided by the Environmental Fund. The diploma, however, does not specify any budget allocation to support the costs of the program.
The new incentive system comes into force on December 1st and intends to increase the formal collection of electrical and electronic waste, combating the parallel market and the illegal abandonment of these materials, reports .
The incentive will be granted in the form of a discount on the purchase of new equipment in the same functional category as the device delivered. The values vary depending on the type of equipment: R$25 for refrigerators and freezers, R$35 for air conditioners and R$20 for televisions.
To benefit from the discount, old equipment must be complete, intact and identifiable. Delivery may occur at the time of purchase of the new device or up to five working days later. In the latter case, the participating operator must reimburse the consumer using the same payment method used in the purchase.
Although the basic rule is the exchange of equipment of the same category, the ordinance allows exceptions, as long as they are accepted by the participating merchant. Therefore, the discount can also be applied to the purchase of different equipment.
The Government justifies the creation of the system with the need to increase the collection of electrical and electronic waste (WEEE) and meet European targets. According to data cited by the environmental association Zero, Portugal collected only 26% of this waste in 2024, well below the European target of 65%. The association estimates that around 165 thousand tons ended up in the environment or in illegal scrap yards without adequate decontamination.
The new mechanism was received in a generally positive way by the sector, although with reservations. Electrão CEO, Pedro Nazareth, classified the system as “pioneering” and “unparalleled in the European Union”, but also questioned the inclusion of televisions in the program as they are already “one of the most collected and recycled electrical appliances in Portugal, so the issue is not environmental”.
