Envipco is pleased to announce a new partnership with SPAR Portugal. Under the agreement, Envipco will supply Compact reverse vending machines across SPAR Portugal's store network — bringing reliable container return infrastructure to shoppers nationwide.
The announcement coincides with a major milestone: on 10 April 2026, Portugal officially launched its deposit return scheme, becoming the 19th European country to implement such a system and the first sizeable market in Southern Europe to do so. Cantechonline
The scheme, branded Volta and operated by SDR Portugal, covers plastic, aluminium, and steel beverage containers up to 3 litres — including water, soft drinks, juices, energy drinks, and beer. Consumers pay a €0.10 deposit per container, refunded in full upon return. Packaging Europe For a deeper dive into how Volta works, see our Envipcopedia article on Portugal's DRS.
The scheme targets 2,500 reverse vending machines and 8,000 return points, aiming for a 90% collection rate by 2029 as required by the EU's Single-Use Plastics Directive.
Retail stores above 400 square metres are required by law to participate, making infrastructure decisions consequential from day one.
Envipco's Compact RVM is built for exactly this environment — space-efficient, high-throughput, and designed to handle busy supermarket return volumes without disrupting store flow. As SPAR Portugal scales its return infrastructure nationwide, the Compact offers a practical, shopper-friendly solution that supports both compliance and convenience.
Portugal, as the first sizeable Southern European market to go live, is widely expected to set the benchmark for what follows in Spain, France, and Italy. Envipco is proud to be part of building that foundation.
Are you a retailer preparing for a deposit return scheme? Get in touch with our team to find the right RVM solution for your network.
