Lisbon is making history as the first European capital to roll out a city-wide reusable cup system backed by a local deposit-return model. The initiative 鈥� driven by a collaboration between the City of Lisbon, TOMRA, and AHRESP (Associa莽茫o da Hotelaria, Restaura莽茫o e Similares de Portugal)聽 鈥� is designed to tackle plastic waste, slash emissions, and bring a smarter reuse model to the city鈥檚 bustling nightlife and hospitality sector.
From Friday 27 June, the first TOMRA-operated return points went live at two historical kiosks, in Portuguese聽quiosques,聽in Pra莽a de S茫o Paulo and Pra莽a do Pr铆ncipe Real. Customers purchasing drinks receive them in reusable cups, paying a deposit that is fully refunded upon return 鈥� simply by tapping their card or phone at the collection point. Full roll-out of the reusable cup system is planned for October 2025.
The project is powered by TOMRA鈥檚 鈥淩otake鈥� system 鈥� a full-service reuse model including digital tracking, cup collection, sanitation, and redistribution. TOMRA, which pioneered fully-automated reverse vending technology, is managing the entire lifecycle of the cups to ensure efficiency, hygiene, and environmental performance. 鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to partner with Lisbon on this first-of-its-kind city system in a European capital,鈥� said聽Geir S忙ther, Head of TOMRA Reuse. 鈥淭he system deployed in Lisbon is designed specifically for urban areas 鈥� making reuse easy, clean and rewarding for everyone involved.鈥�
Every night, 25,000 cups are used across Lisbon鈥檚 entertainment areas. Despite cups being labeled and sold as 鈥渞eusable鈥�, no system has been in place to collect, clean and recirculate cups. The roll-out follows the Lisbon Municipal Regulation banning single-use plastic cups, a bold move that required robust infrastructure to succeed. With TOMRA鈥檚 scalable system and strong local buy-in, the city is now ready to deliver real impact.
鈥淟isbon 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,鈥� said聽Rui Cordeiro,City Councillor for Waste Management and Circular Economy, City of Lisbon.
Crucial to the system鈥檚 success is participation from the hospitality sector.AHRESP, Portugal鈥檚 largest hospitality association, is helping bring caf茅s, bars, and nightlife venues into the reuse loop. 鈥淭his 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鈥�, said聽Carlos Moura, President of AHRESP.