New volta Kiosk in Cascais strengthens beverage container collection network

SDR Portugal has inaugurated a new volta Kiosk in the municipality of Cascais, in partnership with the local authority. The installation marks another step in strengthening the volta collection network, helping to increase the number of single-use beverage containers returned and reduce their disposal in recycling bins and general waste.

The inauguration was attended by Luís Almeida Capão, Vice-President of Cascais Municipal Council, and Leonardo Mathias, President of SDR Portugal, who highlighted the importance of cooperation between the municipality and the system operator in developing more effective solutions for the separate collection of beverage containers. The event also included a demonstration of how the new volta Kiosk operates.

“The involvement of municipalities is essential to bringing the system closer to citizens, HoReCa establishments and businesses, and making it easier to return containers. With this new volta Kiosk in Cascais, we are strengthening a national network that enables HoReCa establishments and consumers to return more containers, more conveniently and efficiently, helping to increase collection rates and, consequently, recycling rates. Cooperation with local authorities is fundamental to implementing this infrastructure, as its installation depends on the support of municipalities. We already have 8 Kiosks in operation, a further seven contracted, and we aim to complete the rollout of the supplementary collection network as soon as possible,” said Leonardo Mathias, President of SDR Portugal.

“The new volta Kiosk, the only facility of this scale in the municipality, makes returning containers simpler and more accessible, encouraging residents and businesses to participate in the circular economy. This system does not operate in isolation: it complements other aspects of urban waste management in Cascais, from waste prevention and reduction to separate collection and recovery. It is this coordination between solutions, partners and the community that allows us to move towards more sustainable resource management. Following Cascais’ innovative experience with a deposit return scheme, we are now taking another step forward with volta, strengthening our ambition to keep Cascais at the forefront of sustainability through practical solutions that make a difference in everyday life,” said Luís Almeida Capão, Vice-President of Cascais Municipal Council.

volta Kiosks complement the network of automatic volta Collection Points and enable large quantities of containers to be returned, particularly by businesses in the HoReCa sector, such as cafés and restaurants, while remaining accessible to all consumers. These facilities can collect approximately 120 containers per minute, without requiring each container to be inserted individually. A member of staff is also permanently on site to provide assistance whenever needed. Deposits are refunded through digital options, including the App volta€ (which allows users to subsequently transfer their accumulated balance to a bank account), MB WAY (already available at the volta Kiosk in Cascais), or by donating the deposit to a charitable organisation selected from the options available at the facility.

Their implementation will increase collection capacity and help ease pressure on automatic volta Collection Points, which currently account for approximately 99% of all returns within the system.

The installation of the Cascais Kiosk forms part of SDR Portugal’s plan to strengthen its collection network, with a target of 50 volta Kiosks across 38 Portuguese municipalities. With this inauguration, eight Kiosks are now operational nationwide, bringing the system closer to local communities and encouraging greater public participation in the circular economy.

However, this rollout depends on authorisation from the respective municipalities and the provision of public space, making cooperation with local authorities essential to completing the planned network.

The volta system currently has more than 3,000 collection points across Portugal, through which over 590 million single-use beverage containers have already been returned. This infrastructure includes automatic volta Collection Points located in supermarkets and hypermarkets, manual volta Collection Points and volta Kiosks.

volta Kiosks currently in operation

• Albufeira

• Almada

• Barcelos

• Cascais

• Funchal

• Ponta Delgada

• Portimão

• Vila Nova de Famalicão

Contracted volta Kiosks (expected to become operational shortly)

• Aveiro

• Coimbra

• Lagoa

• Loulé

• Mafra

• Oeiras

• Vila do Conde