Since April 10th, the Volta deposit and refund system has been in effect in Portugal, in which consumers pay a 10 cent deposit when purchasing certain bottles and cans, an amount that is recovered when the packaging is returned at a collection point. What many consumers are unaware of is that there are two free mobile applications associated with the system: Volta Consumidor and Volta Euro, each with different functionalities.
The Volta Euro application allows you to link a bank account and digitally accumulate the value of the deposits corresponding to the returned packaging. The user creates an account, links the IBAN, and presents a QR code at the time of delivery of the packaging, and can then transfer the accumulated balance directly to the bank account. Thus, when returning 20 eligible packages, the consumer accumulates two euros.
However, this bank transfer functionality is not yet available broadly. According to SDR Portugal, Volta Euro was primarily developed for high-traffic situations, such as festivals and large events, having been used, for example, at Rock in Rio Lisboa. At the remaining machines, refund options vary between deposit vouchers, cash, loyalty cards, cashless payment, or donation.
The second application, Volta Consumidor, allows you to check in advance whether a bottle or can is covered by the system, simply by entering the EAN code or scanning the barcode with the phone camera. It also includes a map with the nearest collection points. It is important to note that only single-use plastic, aluminum, or steel packaging with a capacity of up to three liters, identified with the Volta symbol, are covered, provided they are empty, intact, and with a readable barcode. Glass containers and dairy product packaging are excluded.
