Shoppers hoping to reclaim a 10-cent deposit for bottles and cans at Mercadona will have to wait. The supermarket chain says there is still no official date for launching a deposit-return system in its Spanish stores, despite the European packaging regulation taking effect in August 2026.
Mercadona addressed the issue after a customer inquiry on August 12, 2026, the day the EU's new packaging rules began to apply across Europe. The company stressed that the regulation does not trigger automatic deposit charges in Spain. Instead, Spanish law sets a separate legal deadline, currently pointing to November 2026, two years after the government's formal notification of non-compliance in November 2024.
Uncertainty Over Implementation
In its official response, Mercadona said the rollout remains under review by the affected sectors and no timeline has been confirmed. The company has not disclosed when the deposit will be added to prices, how refunds will work or how many return machines Spanish stores will have. Which locations will take part and whether machines or staff will handle returns also remain undecided.
Mercadona already runs a similar system in Portugal, where customers can get 10 cents back for returning marked beverage containers. The Portuguese 'Volta' program, launched in April 2026, offers refunds by ticket, digital transfer or donation. Spain cannot simply copy that model: its operational rules and deployment calendar are still pending.
Legal Structure: Minimum, Not Fixed, Deposit
Spanish law, specifically Royal Decree 1055/2022, does not set a fixed 10-cent deposit. It sets a minimum of €0.10 per eligible beverage container, though the final amount could be higher. The system operator will also decide how deposits, refunds and compensation between producers and retailers are managed.
The deposit is a refundable guarantee, not a lost payment. Consumers will pay it at purchase and can reclaim it by returning the container at an approved point. The law covers plastic bottles up to three liters for water, juices, soft drinks, energy and isotonic drinks, plus alcoholic beverages; it also covers cans and beverage cartons in those categories. Other single-use containers may be included voluntarily, but are not automatically subject to the deposit.
EU Regulation and Spanish Deadlines
The EU packaging regulation took effect on February 11, 2025, and generally applies from August 12, 2026. Spain's Ministry for Ecological Transition (MITECO) has clarified that some obligations have later deadlines. A new royal decree is being prepared to align national rules with the EU structure. The European regulation alone does not activate deposit charges or return machines in Spain. The EU requires member states to reach a 90% separate collection rate for beverage containers by January 1, 2029, at the latest.
Spain faces an earlier deadline after missing its 2023 national collection target: it achieved only 41.3%, against the required 70%. A national deposit system must so be implemented within two years of the November 2024 notification, setting the legal limit at November 2026. Mercadona has announced no operational date.
How Returns Will Work and What to Do Now
Basic details are still unresolved: refunds could come as cash, vouchers, card credits or other methods, and it is unclear whether every machine will accept containers from any retailer. The royal decree leaves return-point design open, allowing retail stores, containers, dedicated centers or other authorized channels. EU rules generally require systems to accept containers of the same material and format they sell and to refund deposits without requiring proof of purchase.
Until the system is in place, consumers should follow local recycling instructions and should not expect to pay or reclaim a deposit automatically. Once the system launches, eligible containers will carry a clear mark showing that the deposit is refundable. Consumers should look for the new labeling, a deposit charge at checkout and official communication from the system operator, not rely on the EU regulation date alone.
For those interested in how regulatory changes affect everyday finances in Spain, a recent report on new unemployment subsidy rules highlights similar complexities in rolling out national policies.
For now, Mercadona customers in Spain will see no change at checkout, and the timeline for deposit refunds remains uncertain. The government and retailers are expected to provide more clarity in the coming months as they finalize the new system's details.
