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Spain deposit return scheme: what 10 cents a can will do to your prices

Spain must start a deposit system by November 2026: at least 10 cents on every plastic drinks bottle, can and carton up to 3 litres, refunded on return. A 24-can case would cost €2.40 more at the till. We plan your prices and packs for it.

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From £7,500 (about €9,000), fixed About 3 weeks for up to 10 products Under NDA from the first day
Free and instant

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What the deposit adds at the till, and how much the till price rises. Nothing you type leaves this page.

Checking
Deposit at the till
The till price rises by

That's the easy part. How shoppers react to the higher till price, and which packs to lead with, depends on your own sales. That's what we measure.

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At the minimum deposit in Royal Decree 1055/2022. The amount could be set higher.

What you get

A price and pack plan for the deposit

Your prices and packs with the deposit on top, ready before it starts, product by product and retailer by retailer.

  • How shoppers switch between pack sizes when the till price jumps
  • The best shelf price for each pack, with the deposit on top
  • Which multipacks and price points to lead with, and how to promote them
  • A plan by retailer, and an Excel model to test other prices
Book a free 15-minute call See a sample report
Example

How your results look

PackDeposit at the tillOur advice
Beer, 24 x 330ml cans+€2.40Lead with the 12-pack
Water, 6 x 1.5 litres+60 centsHold the price
Juice, 1 litre carton+10 centsKeep the price point

Fictional products. Every real result comes with the expected sales and profit, and a likely range.

Your options

Every option has a fixed price, agreed before we start.

Up to 10 products

Price and pack plan

from £7,500
about €9,000
About 3 weeks
  • The deposit and best choice for each product
  • Price plan for each retailer
  • Scenario model and a walk-through
11 to 50 products

Pricing review with the deposit

around £17,500
about €21,000
4 to 5 weeks
  • Everything in the deposit review
  • Prices and promotions for the whole range
  • How your products take sales from each other
More than 50 products

Portfolio review

Quoted
Scoped on the call
  • Everything in the pricing review
  • More retailers and data sources
  • A plan for each channel

After the project: a refresh before each pricing round, from £2,000 (about €2,400). Prices are fixed in pounds sterling; amounts in euros are a guide at October 2026 exchange rates. We're based in the UK and work remotely, in English, under NDA.

How it works

From the first call to your plan in about three weeks.

  1. A free 15-minute call

    Tell us about your range. We say whether a review would pay for itself, and quote a fixed price.

  2. Your data

    Sales by product and retailer, recipes and costs. We sign an NDA before anything moves.

  3. Your plan

    Prices and packs for the deposit, ready before it starts, walked through with your team.

Spain deposit return scheme: the detail

Open only what you need.

Why
Spain collected about 41% of plastic drinks bottles separately in 2023, against the EU's 70% target. Under Royal Decree 1055/2022 that triggers a deposit system within two years.
Deadline
November 2026
Deposit
At least 10 cents per container, refunded on return without a receipt
Containers
Single-use plastic bottles, cans and drinks cartons up to 3 litres
Not yet settled
The official start date, the authorisation of the system operator, and rules for crushed or damaged containers
Target
90% of containers collected by 2029
When the till price jumps

Hold the price

Keep the shelf price and let the deposit show. Works when shoppers see past it.

When small packs feel it most

Change the pack

The deposit is a bigger share of a small pack's price. Shift volume to sizes that carry it better.

When multipacks get dearer

Rethink promotions

A 24-pack's till price jumps the most. Check which deals still pay once shoppers see the deposit.

When does the deposit return scheme start in Spain?

The legal deadline is November 2026. The official start date and the system operator were not confirmed when we checked, so it could start later.

How much is the deposit in Spain?

At least 10 cents per container, so a 24-can case would cost €2.40 more at the till.

Which containers are in Spain's deposit system?

Single-use plastic drinks bottles, cans and drinks cartons up to 3 litres. Glass isn't included.

Why is Spain introducing a deposit system?

Spain collected about 41% of plastic drinks bottles separately in 2023, short of the EU's 70% target, which triggers a deposit system under its packaging law.

How much does a price and pack plan cost?

A review of up to 10 products has a fixed price from £7,500 (about €9,000) and takes about three weeks. For 11 to 50 products, a full pricing review costs around £17,500 (about €21,000). It starts with a free 15-minute call.

Do you work with brands in Spain?

Yes. We're based in the UK and work remotely and in English, under NDA. Prices are fixed in pounds sterling before we start, and the first step is a free 15-minute call.

Also changing prices in Spain

Ask about these on the same call.

Spain sugar taxIn force21% VAT on sweetened drinksSugar tax review Portugal deposit (Volta)Since Apr 202610 cents on each bottle and canPrice and pack plan Austria depositSince 1 Jan 202525 cents on each bottle and canPrice and pack plan

Price and pack plan|from £7,500 (about €9,000)|about 3 weeks

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