Switchio provides key technology for deposit refunds
Every night, around 25,000 cups are used across Lisbon’s entertainment areas. Despite being sold as “reusable,” there has been no system in place to collect, clean, and return these cups to circulation. Until now.
The City of Lisbon has accepted the challenge and, together with TOMRA and the hospitality association AHRESP, is launching the first city-wide reusable cup system backed by a local deposit-return model in a European capital.
How the system works:
- Drinks are served in reusable cups with a refundable €0.60 deposit
- Cups can be returned to TOMRA collection machines placed near participating venues
- Deposit refunds are transferred to consumers via contactless card or phone — no registration required
- TOMRA handles logistics, sanitisation, and redistribution of the cups
By October, Lisbon will roll out a standardised “Lisbon cup” for all participating bars and venues in the city centre, with at least 17 return points planned across downtown areas.
Switchio’s role
The hardware in use is the Ingenico Open 2500 terminal powered by the Switchio Pay application, making the whole process simple and convenient for everyone.
As a provider of Point-of-Sale gateway and terminal management systems, we take care of the payment and refund process. When a drink in a reusable cup is purchased, the cup has an active deposit value. When the empty cup is returned at a collection point, a digital token is generated when the user taps their bank card on the machine’s payment terminal. This token works as an alias of the actual bank card number during verification and the repayment of the deposit to the card.
“Congratulations to the city of Lisbon for accepting the challenge. Lisbon is making history as the first European capital to roll out a city-wide reusable cup system backed by a local deposit-return model,”
Jakub švec, key account manager at switchio
Pictured from left: Carlos Moura, President of AHRESP; Rui Cordeiro, Lisbon City Counsillor for Waste Management and Circular Economy; Diogo Moura, Lisbon City Counsillor for Economy and Innovation; and Rui Quadrado, Business Development Manager for TOMRA Reuse.
The Lisbon system is powered by TOMRA’s Rotake solution — a full-service reuse model that includes digital tracking and logistics. The success of this initiative relies on close cooperation with the hospitality sector to make reuse easy, clean, and rewarding for everyone involved.
We’re proud to partner with Lisbon on this first-of-its-kind city system in a European capital. The system deployed in Lisbon is designed specifically for urban areas — making reuse easy, clean, and rewarding for everyone involved.”
Geir Sæther, Head of TOMRA ReusE
Photo: TOMRA