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SDDR

How the SDDR works, step by step

The deposit return scheme adds a refundable amount to the price of certain drinks containers and gives it back when you hand in the empty. Neither the container nor the money is lost if you close the loop.

The loop in four steps

  1. 1. You buy the drink

    The receipt shows the product price and, on a separate line, the container deposit. The deposit is not part of the product price and carries no retail margin.

  2. 2. You drink it and keep the empty

    The container must keep its shape with a readable barcode. Crushing it can stop the machine from identifying it.

  3. 3. You return it at a return point

    At reverse vending machines or staffed counters in participating shops. You do not need the receipt, and you do not have to return it where you bought it.

  4. 4. You get the deposit back

    In cash or as a store voucher, depending on the point. The machine prints a slip with the accumulated amount.

What is expected to be in scope

  • Single-use plastic drinks bottles up to 3 litres
  • Metal drinks cans up to 3 litres
  • Single-use drinks containers in other materials included by the final regulation, such as certain beverage cartons

What is out of scope

  • Refillable containers with their own return system, typical in hospitality
  • Containers larger than 3 litres
  • Non-beverage containers: cleaning products, oils, preserves
  • Drink categories the final regulation may exclude; until it is published, any specific list is provisional

Details worth knowing

  • The deposit is neither a tax nor a retailer surcharge: it is your money held on deposit, and getting it back does not depend on showing a receipt.
  • The minimum amount under discussion is 10 cents per container. The regulation may set different amounts by format or material.
  • Damaged, unlabelled or unreadable containers can be rejected by machines; a staffed counter is the fallback in that case.
  • Containers bought outside Spain are not part of the Spanish scheme and carry no refund here.
  • The SDDR sits alongside the yellow recycling bin: a deposit container thrown in the yellow bin is still recycled, but the deposit is lost.

If you run a bar, restaurant or shop

  • Food retailers above a floor-area threshold will have to accept returns; smaller shops may handle them manually or be exempt, depending on the final rules.
  • The deposit passes along the whole chain: producer charges distributor, distributor charges retailer, retailer charges the customer. Nobody keeps the money.
  • The scheme requires storage space, a counting procedure and periodic reconciliation with the scheme operator.
  • The business guide on this portal includes a readiness checklist by business type.