The City of Lisbon, TOMRA and AHRESP (a Portuguese hospitality association) have come together to cut litter and emissions by introducing a smart deposit return system. The system aims to remove thousands of littered cups from Lisbon's public spaces every night. This announcement makes Lisbon the first European capital to roll out a city-wide reusable cup system backed by a local deposit-return model. This initiative should help to tackle plastic waste, reduce emissions, and introduce a smarter reuse model to Lisbon’s nightlife and hospitality sector.
TOMRA
Carlos Moura, President of AHRESP; Rui Cordeiro, Lisbon City Counsillor for Waste Management and Circular Economy; Diogo Moura, Lisbon City Counsillor for Economy and Innovation; and Rui Quadrado, Business Development Manager for TOMRA Reuse.
The first TOMRA-operated return points went live on Thursday, the 26th June, located in Portuguese quiosques, Praça de São Paulo, and Praça do Príncipe Real. At these kiosks, customers purchasing drinks received reusable cups and paid a deposit, which was returned to them following the return of the cup. Customers received their refund by tapping their card or phone at a collection point. The system is expected to be fully rolled out by October 2025.
How the reuse system works:
- Drinks are served in reusable cups with a refundable €0.60 deposit.
- Customers can return cups to TOMRA collection machines that are located near serving establishments across Lisbon.
- Cup deposit refunds can be received via contactless card or phone with no registration required.
- TOMRA handles the cup logistics, sanitisation, and redistribution.
About the reusable cup system
The solution is powered by TOMRA’s “Rotake” system, which is a full-service reuse model featuring digital tracking, cup collection, sanitation, and redistribution. TOMRA is set to manage the entire lifecycle of the cups, to promote efficiency, hygiene, and environmental performance.
“We’re proud to partner with Lisbon on this first-of-its-kind city system in a European capital,” said Geir Sæther, Head of TOMRA Reuse. “The system deployed in Lisbon is designed specifically for urban areas – making reuse easy, clean and rewarding for everyone involved.”
Around 25,000 cups are used every night across Lisbon’s entertainment areas. Even when cups are labelled as “reusable,” there is no system in place to collect, clean, and recirculate cups.
Support for local government and the hospitality sector
Lisbon Municipal Regulation has banned single-use plastic cups, putting further pressure on the system’s need to succeed. But with TOMRA’s scalable system and strong local buy-in, a strong, positive impact is expected.
“Lisbon is committed to leading by example, promoting sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics and engaging partners in real change toward more conscious consumption habits. This is a concrete step toward building a culture of reuse in our city and inspiring other municipalities to follow the same path,” said Rui Cordeiro, City Councillor for Waste Management and Circular Economy, City of Lisbon.
Securing the system’s success was the participation seen from the hospitality sector. AHRESP, Portugal’s largest hospitality association, is helping cafés, bars, and nightlife venues join the reuse loop.
“This initiative represents a necessary shift for the hotel/restaurant/catering (HoReCa) sector, which now takes on an active and central role in the transition towards a more circular economy. Establishments not only gain a practical solution to comply with the new regulations, but also an opportunity to lead, together with consumers, a sustainable and positive change in habits for the city of Lisbon,” said Carlos Moura, President of AHRESP.
By October, Lisbon will introduce a standardised “Lisbon cup” for all participating bars and venues in central neighbourhoods. There is a minimum of 17 return points planned across the downtown area.
About Lisboa a Reutilizar
Marking the launch of the system, the city hosted its “Lisboa a Reutilizar” summit at MUDE (Museu do Design) on the 25th of June. At the event, policymakers, urban planners, and environmental leaders gathered to learn about the reuse system and witness the TOMRA return process first-hand.