Spain to introduce deposits of at least €0.10 on bottles, cans and drink cartons in November
Spain will introduce a mandatory deposit-return system for selected single-use beverage containers from November. Consumers will pay at least €0.10 per container and recover the deposit when returning eligible packaging.
A refundable charge at the checkout
Spain will introduce a mandatory deposit, return and refund system for selected single-use beverage containers from November, according to El Español. Shops will collect a refundable deposit whenever they sell an eligible bottle, can or drink carton. The minimum charge will be €0.10 per unit, although the producer responsibility system may set a higher amount. The deposit is legally separate from the product price and is not taxed as part of that price.
A consumer buying a bottle priced at €0.50 would therefore pay €0.60 if the minimum deposit applies. Returning the container correctly would release the €0.10 refund. A six-can pack would carry a total deposit of €0.60, also fully recoverable after all six containers are returned. The system is designed to give used packaging a direct monetary value rather than permanently increase beverage prices.
Retailers and packaging suppliers must adapt
The system covers plastic beverage bottles of up to three litres used for mineral and spring water, juice, nectar, soft drinks, energy drinks, isotonic drinks and certain alcoholic beverages. Cans and beverage cartons in the relevant categories will also be included. Eligible packaging must be clearly identified so buyers know that a deposit has been charged and can be reclaimed.
Not every container sold in supermarkets will enter the initial system. Glass packaging is treated differently, while milk and dairy products, wine and certain spirits are not intended to face the same deposit requirement. European rules provide specific exceptions for wine products, spirits, milk and dairy products. Retailers will have to modify checkout and collection arrangements, while beverage and packaging suppliers will need to ensure that eligible containers carry the required identification and can move through the return network.
Collection targets triggered the change
The mandatory rollout follows Spain’s failure to meet its separate-collection target for single-use plastic beverage bottles of up to three litres. Law 7/2022 set a target of 70% for 2023 and required a deposit-return system if that threshold was missed. Spain recorded a collection rate of 42.3% for 2023, according to the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, leaving a gap of 27.7 percentage points.
The policy also anticipates a European benchmark of at least 90% separate collection for single-use plastic bottles and metal beverage containers of up to three litres by 1 January 2029. Deposit systems are already used in Germany, Denmark and other European countries, while Portugal has recently launched a national system. For Spain, the November rollout will shift part of packaging recovery from conventional recycling bins to dedicated return points, creating new requirements for collection equipment, handling and material sorting while potentially increasing the volume and quality of recovered plastic, metal and carton feedstock.
