Spain's deposit, refund and return system (SDDR, the Spanish deposit return scheme) requires a minimum deposit of 0.10 euros on every single-use plastic bottle, can or carton for beverages of up to three litres, which consumers get back when they return the empty container. Under the legal timetable, Spain must have it running by 22 November 2026. It affects beverage fillers and importers, wholesale, retail and, in part, the hospitality sector. At the end of October 2026 no scheme operator has been authorised yet, and the industry itself expects the actual launch to come later.
Why Spain has to introduce a deposit return scheme
Law 7/2022 on waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy sets separate collection targets for single-use plastic beverage bottles: 70% in 2023, 77% in 2025, 85% in 2027 and 90% in 2029. Royal Decree 1055/2022 on packaging and packaging waste develops this in its Article 47: if the targets are missed, the deposit return scheme becomes mandatory within two years.
The report published by the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) in November 2024 put the 2023 separate collection rate for these bottles at 41.3%, well below the required 70%. The shortfall was formally notified to the extended producer responsibility schemes on 22 November 2024. That is where the 22 November 2026 deadline comes from.
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR), which has applied since 12 August 2026, reinforces this obligation. By 1 January 2029 at the latest, Member States must ensure the separate collection of at least 90% by weight of single-use plastic bottles and metal beverage containers of up to three litres through deposit return systems.
Which packaging is in scope
The mandatory system governed by Article 47 of Royal Decree 1055/2022 covers single-use containers of up to three litres:
- Materials: plastic bottles, cans and other metal containers, and beverage cartons.
- Beverages: mineral and spring water, juices and nectars, soft drinks, energy and isotonic drinks, beer and other alcoholic beverages within the scope of the royal decree.
- Outside the mandatory system: glass, and milk and dairy containers such as milk cartons.
The PPWR, for its part, excludes wine, spirits, and milk and dairy products from its deposit obligation. If your company has borderline products (mixed drinks, formats above three litres or glass containers), it is worth confirming how they are treated with your extended producer responsibility scheme.
How the deposit works
- Amount: the royal decree sets a minimum of 0.10 euros per container. The final amount is set by the scheme and can be equal to or higher than that.
- Flow: the deposit travels with the container along the supply chain. The filler charges it to its customer, wholesalers pass it on to retailers and retailers charge it to the end consumer.
- Refund: consumers get the amount back when they return the empty container at a return point, either manual or through a reverse vending machine. The container must keep its label so the system can identify it.
- Nature: it is a refundable deposit. It is neither a tax nor a fine, and anyone who does not return the container simply forfeits it.
Obligations along the supply chain
Beverage fillers and importers
Whoever first places the containers in scope on the Spanish market must join the scheme, pay the deposit in advance for every unit placed on the market and fund the running of the system. They must also provide the scheme with data on their products (format, material, capacity and units) and make sure containers are identifiable, using the marking set by the scheme operator. These duties come on top of the annual packaging declaration already required by the Spanish Register of Product Producers.
Wholesale and retail
Distributors and shops selling these beverages take part in the system under the terms agreed with the scheme operator: they charge the deposit, accept returned containers and receive a handling fee. The royal decree allows specific conditions for shops with a sales area of 120 m² or less.
Hospitality
Bars, restaurants and hotels buy deposit-bearing beverages through wholesalers. Based on the information published so far, the deposit is passed on to customers for containers that leave the venue through takeaway or delivery sales. Containers consumed on the premises are returned by the venue through its own channel, with no charge to the customer. The operational details will depend on the terms set by the scheme operator.
Who will run the scheme
The scheme will be run by one or more collective extended producer responsibility schemes, which need authorisation from the autonomous community where they are registered. In 2025 four applications were filed with the Community of Madrid: the Asociación SDDR para España (whose members include AECOC, ASEDAS, FIAB and ANGED), Ecoembes, Procircular and CorePET.
At the end of October 2026 none of them has been authorised. The Community of Madrid has cited legal uncertainty due to the lack of national implementing rules, an argument MITECO rejects. The ministry is also preparing a new royal decree on packaging to align Spanish rules with the PPWR. Without an operator, no deposit can be charged, so shops will not start collecting it on 22 November. Industry estimates point to an actual launch between late 2028 and 2029.
Timeline
- November 2024: MITECO confirms that separate collection of plastic bottles in 2023 was 41.3% and notifies the shortfall (22 November).
- 2025: candidate operators submit their authorisation applications to the Community of Madrid.
- 12 August 2026: the PPWR starts to apply.
- 22 November 2026: legal deadline for the deposit return scheme to be operational in Spain.
- 1 January 2029: the PPWR requires deposit return systems for plastic beverage bottles and cans that meet its minimum requirements and a 90% separate collection rate.
What to do now
- List the products in scope: identify each beverage and format by material, capacity and sales channel.
- Quantify units: calculate how many containers you place on the market each year per product. This will be the basis for the deposit and for your contributions to the scheme.
- Review your current EPR set-up: check how you declare these containers today under Royal Decree 1055/2022 and what will change under the deposit scheme.
- Prepare invoicing and pricing: the deposit will need to appear as a separate line on invoices and receipts, and your systems must be able to handle it.
- Plan the marking: leave space in your label artwork for the symbol or code the scheme operator will require.
- Follow the process: keep track of the operator's authorisation and the new royal decree on packaging, which may adjust dates and conditions.
Frequently asked questions
When will the 10-cent deposit start being charged?
The legal deadline is 22 November 2026, but charging will only begin once an authorised scheme operator is up and running. At the end of October 2026 there is none yet and no confirmed launch date.
Is the deposit always 0.10 euros?
That is the minimum set by Royal Decree 1055/2022. The scheme operator can set an equal or higher amount.
Will the yellow bin disappear?
No. MITECO has confirmed that the yellow bin will remain for other lightweight packaging and for anyone who does not want to reclaim the deposit.
Are glass bottles included?
They are not part of the mandatory system under Article 47. Reusable packaging, including refillable glass, can have its own voluntary deposit schemes.
Getting ready for the deposit return scheme starts with accurate data on the packaging your company places on the market and the waste it manages. At Manglai we bring the environmental data from all your sites and documents together in a single platform, classify waste by European Waste Catalogue (LER) code and digitise the documentation from your waste managers, using artificial intelligence that automatically extracts data from invoices and PDF documents. Find out how our waste management solution works.
