A public petition calling for the end of the "Volta" packaging deposit and refund system already has more than 37 thousand signatures, according to information on the Petição Pública website. The petition demands from the Government, the Assembly of the Republic, and the Portuguese Environment Agency "the immediate suspension" of the system and its replacement with a model that is "transparent, fair, and truly environmental." It was presented in parliament on August 15 and was referred four days later to the Environment and Energy Committee.
The signatories consider that the system "transfers costs from companies to consumers," who are "held responsible for failures they do not control," and point to "lack of transparency about who profits" and that Volta "does not meet the announced environmental objective." The petition, which is not associated with any organization or political party, also calls for an independent audit of the financial, operational, and environmental model of SDR Portugal, the association that manages the system.
The "Volta" system, which came into operation in April, allows consumers to recover ten cents per packaging of single-use bottles and cans, made of plastic, metal, and aluminum, under three liters, by returning them at collection points in mainland Portugal, the Azores, and Madeira.
The Minister of Environment, Maria da Graça Carvalho, admitted on the 1st that there are problems with the implementation of the system, particularly related to the disposal of packaging in public spaces, and pointed to large events and festivals as one of the first problems detected. The minister defended that it is necessary to strengthen enforcement and involve municipalities, stating that "it is a European system that will be mandatory in all European countries."
