A petition calling for the current Volta deposit-return system for single-use packaging to be suspended and replaced with a different model has gathered more than 46,000 signatures. It was submitted to parliament on August 15 with 34,211 signatures — 7,500 are enough for a petition to be debated in a plenary session.
One of the complaints concerns an unexpected side effect of the system. Since people can now get 10 cents for each bottle or can, people in Lisbon have started looking for them in rubbish containers. They pull the packaging out of the bins, leaving the contents scattered on the streets. Residents have begun complaining about worsening sanitary conditions in the city.
The petition’s authors also argue that Volta shifts part of the cost onto consumers, lacks sufficient transparency and fails to deliver the environmental benefits it promised. They are calling for the system to be suspended and for an independent audit of its financial, operational and environmental model.
Volta has been operating since April. A 10-cent deposit is added to the price of bottles and cans when they are purchased and is refunded when the packaging is returned.
Environment Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho has acknowledged problems with the system’s launch and said the authorities are working to address them and strengthen oversight.
The petition can be signed here.
