A story in the Majorca Daily Bulletin a few days ago reminded us of the Spanish government’s plan to reinstate a bottle deposit return scheme, which will require a surcharge for bottles and cans in bars, restaurants and supermarkets, of some 10 cents. The scheme will be introduced from November this year.
This brings Spain into better alignment with the European Union recycling targets and follows the recent successful rollout of a similar scheme in Portugal. The 10 cents surcharge is a refundable deposit that customers can reclaim when they return empty bottles and cans to either the original point of sale or special collection machines.
The change aims to improve recycling rates and reduce environmental impact in an area in which Spain currently falls short of EU-established goals, which damages the country’s environmental reputation. The deposit-return model was chosen because our current recycling methods, such as the use of yellow recycling bins, have proven inadequate. Apparently 41% of plastic bottles placed in the Spanish market were collected for recycling in 2023, well below the 70% target set by Brussels. Other drawbacks to the current scheme include contamination of recyclables, low public awareness, and logistical challenges.
Read the article in the Majorca Daily Bulletin here.