Empower Deposit App goes live in Portugal — providing incentives from RVMs directly into your phone
A week ago, the deposit refund system for non-reusable beverage bottles and cans in the West Region of Portugal came into operation. This project aligns with Empower’s core goal, applying circular economy principles by incentivizing collection and segregation at source. Ensuring anyone that holds or collects waste can become a valuable part of the plastic value chain, preventing plastic and other materials flow out of the economy.
When depositing beverage packages in the Oeste + Recicla Project machines, the final consumer will receive and accumulate monetary discounts on the Deposit App provided by Empower. The users can redeem incentives on the West Region Road Transport Passes, contributing to the use of collective transport and achieving carbon neutrality.
The launch was held at the Torres Vedras Bus Terminal in Portugal, where our Project Coordinator, Inês Rocha, attended the event along with the Mayor of Torres Vedras, Laura Rodrigues, the President of the Intermunicipal Community of the West, and the City Council of Alenquer, Pedro Folgado, the Director of Services of the General Secretariat for the Environment, Susana Escária, the Executive Secretary of the Intermunicipal Community of the West, Paulo Simões, Mayors and Councilors of the West and Transport Operators.
“To be a Portuguese and the representative of the digital partner guarantees me the compromise of Portugal to look for the best circularity-oriented technology and make sure we are competitive with fellow European countries when it comes to sustainability. This event is just the first step of a range of opportunities for Empower to implement a full-scale operation in the whole country.” — Inês Rocha, Project Coordinator at Empower
The RVM machines acquired under the ‘Oeste +Recicla’ Project have started operating in the Municipalities of the West Region of Portugal, a Project with an investment of 999,676.00 euros, co-financed 90% by EEA Grants. In all, 18 machines were distributed to the 12 municipalities of the West, whose locations can be consulted at the link: Oeste + Recicla — Projeto — Oeste CIM
ABOUT OESTE + RECICLA PROJECT
The project intendeds to establish a system for refunding deposits for plastic bottles in Portugal, with the support of the EEA Grants. The objective of the project is to increase the application of the principles of circular economy in specific sectors, in production and consumption, through the implementation of a Deposit and Return System for plastic bottles in all Municipalities in the Oeste Region — with the support of EEA Grants Portugal (Environment Program) and Empower’s experience as a project partner organization.
The project is based on the implementation of a deposit refund system for bottles of non-reusable drinks that will increase the recycling rate of plastic packaging for consumer products, contributing to the objectives of MFEE 2014–2021, of the Environment Program and for the goals outlined in national policies in conjunction with local and regional strategies.
