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Your next drink at a Spanish bar is about to cost you 10 cents more from August
A new EU-backed deposit scheme is coming to Spain and it affects every can and plastic bottle sold in bars, restaurants and shops
From August 12, buying a can of beer, a bottle of water or a soft drink at a bar, restaurant, supermarket or shop in Spain is going to cost you an extra 10 cents. The good news is that you get it back, but only if you return the container.
Spain is introducing a Deposit, Return and Refund System (DRRS) on August 12, brought in under Law 7/2022 and in line with EU recycling targets. The scheme follows similar systems already up and running in Portugal, Denmark and a number of other European countries, and its ultimate goal is to see 90% of waste containers recovered by January 1, 2029.
The 10 cent deposit applies to plastic bottles, cans and cartons of up to three litres, which in practice means it covers most of the drinks people buy every day, bottled water, soft drinks, juices, beer and anything else that comes in a single-use plastic bottle or can.
When you hand the empty container back, you get your 10 cents refunded.
Return machines will be installed at points of sale to handle the process and crucially, any establishment that charges the deposit is required to accept returns regardless of where the container was originally purchased.
It's worth noting that the scheme kicks in on the same day as the solar eclipse, August 12, which is already shaping up to be quite a day for Spain.
The deposit scheme isn't the only change coming to bars and restaurants this summer. Under EU Regulation 2025/40, adopted in January 2025, establishments will also be required to start phasing out single-use plastic sachets, the individual portions of sugar, salt, sauces, milk, vinegar and oil that arrive alongside your coffee or meal.
The phase-out begins on August 12 and runs through to 2030, so the familiar pile of sugar sachets on the café table may soon become a thing of the past.
Image: Freepik
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