Lisbon is rolling out its city-wide reusable cup system – powered by TOMRA’s automated return machines and Mastercard payment technology – in hopes of avoiding ‘millions’ of single-use cups annually and tackling urban litter.
The CopoMais Lisboa system is a joint initiative between the City of Lisbon, the Portuguese Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Similar Establishments (AHRESP), and TOMRA. It is anticipated to align with national and EU-wide ambitions to reduce single-use packaging and bolster reuse systems, as enforced by the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.
As part of the system, a set of reusable cups will be distributed in four sizes. Consumers will pay a €0.50 deposit when purchasing a drink, and although payment is cash-free, CopoMais Lisboa accepts all major debit and credit cards, as well as NFC-enabled smartphones and devices.
The deposit money will be refunded to the consumer’s card or mobile wallet when they return their cups to an automated return machine. Used cups will then undergo a cleaning and logistics operation for further reuse.
Five return machines are currently operating in Bairro Alto. Seventeen more are expected to follow in Bairro Alto, Cais do Sodré, Bica, and other central districts within the first quarter of 2026.
Altogether, the system intends to make reuse ‘convenient, efficient and traceable’. As well as avoiding litter from single-use cups, it aspires to reduce CO2 emissions from packaging production and waste treatment processes.
“We are proud to go live with Lisbon’s reusable cup system, as promised when this partnership was announced in January,” said Geir Sæther, head of TOMRA Reuse. “In Lisbon, we have found a municipality that is prepared to take a frontrunner position among European capitals in implementing policy that enables truly circular systems, as well as a hospitality industry that is stepping up to help make Lisbon better, cleaner and more circular.”
Business development manager Rui Quadrado continued: “With CopoMais, we are proud to be introducing – together with our partners – an innovative and effective system for managing the use of reusable cups at scale for Lisbon’s residents and visitors. This system provides attractive incentives for both businesses and consumers, and has the potential to deliver both reduced costs and significant environmental benefits.”
“We are excited to support CopoMais in making sustainable choices easier for everyone,” said Rui Patraquim, business development director for Mastercard in Portugal. “Our collaboration with TOMRA, powered by our Mastercard Move solutions, demonstrates how innovative payment technology can make sustainable choices more accessible and rewarding.
“By streamlining the deposit and instant refund process and enabling near real-time deposit returns, we are empowering both businesses and consumers to take meaningful steps toward reducing waste in their daily lives. This partnership helps drive innovation and convenience for Lisbon’s residents and visitors while advancing our commitment to environmental responsibility.”
“This project demonstrates the willingness of the hospitality and restaurant sector to work side by side with technological innovation and with local authorities,” added AHRESP president Carlos Moura. “It is highly significant to see Lisbon’s bars and restaurants at the forefront, reducing costs for the community and for the planet, while at the same time enhancing customer experience.”
Lisbon joins a handful of European cities seeking to implement reuse at scale. Over in Denmark, the municipality of Aarhus previously collaborated with TOMRA to introduce the ‘world’s first’ open-managed system for reusable takeaway packaging; the three-year pilot started with hot and cold drinks containers like takeaway coffee cups, with other types of takeaway packaging set to follow.
TOMRA has also unveiled its S2 Rugged Plus reverse vending machine, designed for outdoor installation. It is anticipated to help retailers save space on their shop floors without impacting the consumer experience, with its bright and high-visibility touchscreen thought to remain visible in direct sunlight.
In other news, reusable packaging provider r.World reports that installing its reverse logistics and sanitizing solutions at large venues has avoided the production of over 110 tons of plastic packaging and kept 20 million single-use cups and foodware items out of landfills. It adds that it has eliminated 440 U.S. tons of CO2 emissions, saved 1,650,000 kWh of energy, and conserved 5,000,000 gallons of water.
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