A Pilot Test for Returning Bottles and Recovering Resources

The deposit-return system designed by the Balearic Government aims to reduce waste and encourage recycling

What does it consist of?

The implementation of a deposit, return and refund system for bottles aims to reduce waste, improve recycling and prevent the pollution of the sea. The scheme is framed under the Balearic law on waste management, the first of its kind in Europe, and will serve as a basis for future implementation in the rest of the archipelago.

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Data

PROJECT TITLE IN THE CALL
Pilot scheme for a deposit return scheme on one of the Balearic Islands.
LOCATION
Mallorca, Minorca, Ibiza, Formentera
Entity submitting the PROJECT
Govern de les Illes Balears
Entity that executes the project
Direcció General de Residus i Educació Ambiental
Project code
ITS2019-101
Total project amount
500.000 €
ITS granted amount
500.000 €
Executed amount
104.258 €
Call year
2019
Budget implementation status
Executed
Purpose
Environment
Budget execution
Executed: 20.85%
Last updated
11.03.2026

The project

The Balearic Law on Waste and Polluted Land (Ley 8/2019) was a turning point in the region’s environmental policy. This law, the first of its kind in Spain, responds to the need to adapt waste management to the islands’ reality and to promote a circular economy model. One of its key mechanisms is the bottle deposit-return system (DRS), designed as a structural measure against littering and landfill overload.

With a budget of €500,000 funded by sustainable tourism tax, the Directorate-General for Waste and Environmental Education is promoting a pilot test to determine the viability of the DRS on one of the islands of the archipelago. The system requires customers to pay a small deposit that is later when returning their bottles to a designated return point. It is widely used in other European countries, where it has proven to be effective in recycling materials and reducing litter.

Over three years, the scheme will address all the phases required for its potential expansion: from technical design and logistical planning, to awareness campaigns and monitoring of results. The aim is to obtain reliable data on how the system works in an island context, taking into account social, economic and environmental factors.

The results will make it possible to determine its scalability across all the islands, in line with the ecological transition strategy and the Balearic Government’s commitments to sustainable tourism. The measure not only aims to improve waste management, but also to strengthen the Balearic Islands’ reputation as a destination committed to environmental quality and reducing the impact of tourism.