Can I return bottles at Mercadona and get 10 cents back?

No, Mercadona Spain still does not return 10 cents per container: what is really happening

If you have seen headlines or videos about Mercadona returning 10 cents for cans and bottles, it is worth looking carefully at the country. The system exists, but it is not currently operating generally in Spain. The image being circulated comes from Portugal, where Volta, the national deposit and refund system for beverage containers, is already operating.

The difference matters for any reader in Barcelona, Madrid or the rest of Spain: right now, you cannot go to Mercadona Spain with a bag of empty bottles and expect to be given back 10 cents for each one.

What is happening in Portugal

Portugal launched its Volta system on 10 April 2026, a deposit-and-return model for single-use beverage containers. It works with plastic bottles and metal or aluminium cans under 3 litres.

The logic is simple. When buying a drink included in the system, the consumer pays a deposit of €0.10 per container. When they return the empty container to an authorised collection point, they get that money back.

That means it is not a reward for recycling or a one-off promotion by a chain. It is a deposit that has already been paid and is refunded if the container returns to the correct circuit.

Mercadona participates in Portugal as one of the supermarkets where return machines can be found, but the system is not its own. It forms part of a national network with Volta points, automatic machines and participating establishments.

Which containers Volta accepts

The Portuguese system accepts plastic, metal or aluminium beverage containers, provided they are within the system, carry the Volta symbol and do not exceed 3 litres.

Glass containers are excluded. Containers without markings, damaged or crushed containers, or those with an illegible barcode may also be excluded. The practical rule is clear: the container must be empty, identifiable and in good condition so that the machine can recognise it.

If you buy a drink in Portugal with the Volta symbol, you pay the deposit. If you later return that container at an authorised point, you recover the 10 cents.

And what happens in Spain?

In Spain the system is provided for by law, but it is not yet operating generally in supermarkets. Royal Decree 1055/2022 provides for the Deposit, Return and Refund System for certain beverage containers and states that the deposit must be at least 10 cents per unit.

The point is that the legal framework is one thing and actual rollout is another. For the system to work, machines, collection points, shop adaptations, billing changes, container identification and an entity to manage the whole circuit are needed.

That is why headlines saying that “Mercadona returns 10 cents per container” can be misleading if they do not explain that they refer to Portugal.

Can I do it in Barcelona today?

No. Today you cannot take cans or bottles to Mercadona in Barcelona to recover 10 cents per container.

While the Spanish DRS is not operational, containers continue to be handled through the usual recycling channels, mainly the yellow bin for light packaging. When the system is introduced, the dynamic will change: the consumer will pay a deposit when buying certain drinks and will recover it by returning the container at an authorised point.

But that time has not yet arrived generally.

What is worth remembering

The statement “Mercadona pays for recycling” is not accurate. The correct statement is that in Portugal a deposit of 10 cents per container is returned within the Volta system.

Nor is it appropriate to state that Spain already has the system running. What exists is a legal obligation and preparation for implementation.

For the reader, the quick answer is this: if you are in Portugal and buy a drink with the Volta symbol, you can recover 10 cents by returning the container. If you are in Spain, you still cannot do so at Mercadona or at other supermarkets generally.

What comes next

The change, when it arrives in Spain, will be visible in everyday shopping. Included containers will have an added deposit, that amount will appear separately from the product price and there will be points where bottles or cans can be returned to recover the money.

Until then, the Portuguese example helps explain how the future Spanish system could work, but it should not be confused with a measure already active in Spanish shops.

The recommendation is simple: do not yet take containers to Mercadona Spain expecting to receive 10 cents. Wait until there is an official announcement about the introduction of the Spanish DRS, the containers accepted and the return points available.