Several bars in Bairro Alto, in Lisbon, will host the first network of five reusable cup return machines from Thursday to combat waste, the company TOMRA announced this Wednesday.
In a statement, AHRESP – Associação da Hotelaria, Restauração e Similares de Portugal and TOMRA, a company that provides solutions for the circular economy, indicate that after the good results of the test carried out in the summer at the kiosks in Príncipe Real and Praça de São Paulo, it is time for several bars in Bairro Alto to embrace the deposit and return model for reusable cups.
According to TOMRA, consumers receive their drinks in reusable cups, upon payment of a deposit of 50 cents, which is fully refunded upon return, simply by touching their card or cell phone at the collection point.
The project was announced after several complaints from Bairro Alto residents. THE large amount of garbage has disturbed several residents who say that the area has become a “Disneyland of Alcohol”. Filipe Santiago Domingues, one of the founders of Associação Somos Bairro Alto, tells Expresso that every morning he is confronted with scattered rubbish, broken glass and persistent odors.
“Although many cups are sold as ‘reusable’until now there was no system that ensured the effective collection, cleaning and recirculation of these containers”says TOMRA. THE “system is powered by technology ‘Rotke’ from TOMRA, a complete reuse model that includes digital tracking, cup collection, sanitation and redistribution”.
The company manages the entire life cycle of the cups to guarantee efficiency, hygiene and environmental performance and adds that Every night around 25 thousand glasses are used in Lisbon’s entertainment areas.
The initiative, which is the result of a collaboration between Lisbon City Council, TOMRA Reuse and AHRESP, aims to combat plastic waste. It also aims to reduce emissions and introduce a smart reuse model in the city’s restaurant and nightlife sector.
The implementation of the system follows the 2024 regulation of the Lisbon City Council that prohibits the use of disposable plastic cups.
The system was presented during the summit “Lisbon to Reuse”at the Design and Fashion Museum (MUDE).