The first two points will be in operation on Thursday in Praça do Príncipe Real and on Friday in Praça de São Paulo and will be operating in historic kiosks in the city.

The initiative, which is the result of a collaboration between Lisbon City Council, TOMRA Reúse, a circular economy solutions company, and AHRESP - Associação da Hotelaria, Restauração e Similares de Portugal, aims to combat plastic waste.

It also aims to reduce emissions and introduce a smart reuse model in the city's restaurant and nightlife sector.

“Consumers receive their drinks in reusable cups, upon payment of a deposit [0.60 cents] that is fully refunded upon return, simply by tapping their card or mobile phone at the collection point,” the company explained in a statement.

According to the statement, the “system is powered by TOMRA’s ‘Rotake’ technology, a complete reuse model that includes digital tracking, cup collection, sanitization and redistribution.”

The company also says that TOMRA manages the entire life cycle of the cups to ensure efficiency, hygiene and environmental performance.

Full implementation of the reusable cup system is scheduled for October 2025.

According to the company, around 25,000 cups are used every night in Lisbon’s entertainment areas.

“Despite many cups being sold as ‘reusable,’ until now there was no system that ensured the effective collection, cleaning and recirculation of these containers,” the statement says.

The implementation of the system follows the 2024 regulation by Lisbon City Council that bans the use of disposable plastic cups.

The system was presented during the “Lisbon to Reuse” summit at the Museum of Design and Fashion (MUDE).

By October, the city will introduce a standardized “Lisbon cup” for all participating bars and establishments in the central neighbourhoods, with 17 return points planned for the Baixa region.

According to the company, Lisbon is the first European capital to implement a city-wide reusable cup system.