be a part of the change

Help Lisbon go reusable!

Lisbon has banned single-use plastic cups, but so far no system has been in place to ensure reusable cups are collected, cleaned and used again. That is about to change.

TOMRA, together with Lisbon City Council and AHRESP, is implementing a circular system for reusable cold drink cups in Lisbon’s busiest hospitality and entertainment districts, starting 27 June.

The system provides a robust and convenient infrastructure to collect reusable cups. Instead of throwing away your cup after use, you can return it to the nearest machine and get the refund straight into your bank account - simply by tapping your bank card or phone.

Camara Municipal Lisboa logo
AHRESP logo
TOMRA logo

During the initial test phase, two cup return machines will be in operation. You can find them here: 

  1.  Quiosque Praça de São Paulo
  2. Quiosque do Principe Real 


The system will be scaled up to provide 17 conveniently located return points from October 2025. More information about the full program will be provided to the public prior to the launch in October.

How the system works

System step by step graphic
  1. Enjoy your drink - in a reusable cup with a €0.60 deposit
  2. When finished, go to the nearest return machine and tap your card or phone on the reader
  3. The system will verify your card and then you can return your cup(s)
  4. Depending on your bank, the refund will be in your account in seconds or up to three business days.

 

The collected cups are picked up at the machine by TOMRA and taken to a professional sanitization facility where they are washed and quality assured. Damaged cups are sorted out and recycled. Clean cups are then reassigned with the deposit value and made ready for shipment back to the serving establishments.

TOMRA Reuse collection machine used in Lisbon

Questions and answers

The aim of the program is to eliminate the excessive use of disposable cups in the busiest areas of the city, which are causing a significant litter problem and the degradation of city’s public spaces. An estimated 25,000 cups are consumed in Lisbon every night – many of them end as urban litter. With this system, users will be able to return reusable cups quickly and conveniently, recovering the amount they paid as a deposit. The cups will then be sanitized and returned to the merchants, ensuring a smart and efficient closed-loop cycle of reuse that is rewarding for all.
Disposable cups are banned in Lisbon. Bars and restaurants are currently offering plastic cups at different prices. These cups are only occasionally returnable and fees paid are never refunded. In Lisbon’s new city system for reusable packaging, enrolled outlets will exclusively sell drinks in cups belonging to the system. Bars and restaurants are renting cups from the system, financing its infrastructure and operations. The deposit amount of €0.60 is only providing consumers with an incentive to return the cups.
During the test phase which begins on June 27, there are two kiosks where the program’s reusable cups will be used: Quiosque Praça de São Paulo; and Quiosque do Principe Real. Our automated return machines for the reusable cups are located in the immediate vicinity of both kiosks. An interactive map showing the participating serving establishments will be easily available by scanning the QR code on cups when the program is fully scaled in October.
Cups collected from our return machines are taken to a central sanitization facility in the Lisbon area, where they are cleaned using an industrial washing machine and quality assured before being transported back to the serving establishments.
TOMRA is a global company that develops technology to reduce waste and make better use of the planet’s resources. Our solutions help collect, sort, recycle, and reuse materials more efficiently. We operate across four main areas: reverse vending machines for returning drink containers (TOMRA Collection), sensor-based sorting for recycling and mining (TOMRA Recycling), advanced sorting systems for the food industry (TOMRA Food), and new innovations such as city-wide systems for reusable takeaway packaging (part of TOMRA Horizon).
Yes you can! Just take the cup to the machine, tap your bank card or smartphone on the card reader, return the cup in the machine, and you will receive the deposit refund.
TOMRA Reuse offers solutions specifically designed for the use of reusable cups and food bowls/trays at festivals and events. If you would like more information about a potential collaboration for your event, please contact us at [email protected].