Dia Portugal, representative of the Minipreço brand, is the latest member to join SDRetalhistas, an associate of the SDR Portugal. With this membership, SDR Portugal strengthens its size and ambition, demonstrating its increasing capacity to create and manage the future Single-Use Beverage Packaging Deposit Refund System (DRS) to be implemented in Portugal. A system that is intended to complement the existing one and aims to create more than 1,500 direct and indirect jobs throughout the national territory, with an expected investment of over 100 million euros during its implementation.
Lisbon, December 13, 2022 – Dia Portugal has signed a protocol of adhesion to SDRetalhistas, an associate of SDR Portugal, which is a candidate for the management of the future Single-Use Beverage Packaging Deposit and Refund System (SDR) to be created in Portugal, as defined by European legislation and under the guidelines to be set by the Portuguese government.
Representing the majority of the beverage industry and retail companies operating in Portugal, SDR Portugal now also includes Dia Portugal, representing the Minipreçobrand. Dia Portugal joins other brands such as Auchan, Intermarché, Lidl, Pingo Doce, SonaeMC, Mercadona and makro, (represented by the SDRetalhistas Association), as well as companies like Água do Fastio, Águas das Caldas de Penacova, COCA-COLA, Empresa das Águas do Areeiro, Empresa das Águas do Vimeiro, Empresa de Cervejas da Madeira, Font Salem Portugal, Grupo Areeiro, Monchique Mineral Water, Parmalat Portugal, SCC – Sociedade Central de Cervejas, Sumol+Compal, Super Bock Group, UNILEVER FIMA and associations APIAM – Águas Minerais e de Nascente de Portugal e PROBEB – Associação Portuguesa das Bebidas Refrescantes Não Alcoólicas (represented by the Circular Drinks Association).
Dia Portugal‘s membership in SDR Portugal aligns with the sustainability policy of the Dia Group, which prioritizes contributing to the adoption of measures throughout the value chain that promote a better understanding of recycling. This emphasizes the need for effective and concrete measures to achieve better results, especially in meeting national targets for the selective collection of non-reusable beverage packaging.
In 2021, the Dia Group approved its first Sustainability Plan for the Group, which is aligned with the business’s strategic priorities in each of the countries where it operates. It aims to address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as reducing food inequality, decreasing inequality, and promoting responsible production and consumption.
Leonardo Mathias, President of SDR Portugal, points out that
“The inclusion of Dia Portugal in SDR Portugal, through the SDRetalhistas Association, is further evidence that the solution we propose for the future deposit and refund system to be established in our country is robust and secure, contributing significantly to Portugal’s commitment to meeting its goals and improving the environment. The members of SDR Portugal are committed to this solution, which is intended to complement the existing system. In addition to the work and investment they have already undertaken in the last nearly three years, these companies are willing to invest over 100 million euros in the installation of the future single-use beverage packaging deposit refund system, with the expectation of creating more than 1,500 direct and indirect jobs.”
Miguel Silva, Member of the Board of Directors of Dia Portugal highlights that
“Today, there is no denying that adopting measures that favour the circular economy is strategic and crucial for our common well-being and that of future generations. In Grupo Dia, with our network of over 500 Minipreço stores in Portugal, we work to limit resource consumption, minimize waste production, and give a second life to materials and products that can be reused. All these principles of efficient waste and waste management are key objectives of Grupo Dia’s 2021-23 Sustainability Plan. Therefore, our membership to SDR is another step we take in this direction, bringing scale through our geographical diversity and actively contributing to promoting sustainable habits that encourage the reuse of packaging among the thousands of families who visit us daily.”
For the first time, industry and retail come together in a circular economy system aimed at waste valorisation, highlighting the priority given to this issue. Aligned with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), the associates of SDR Portugal aim to implement an efficient and effective system that guarantees the environmental responsibility advocated by all these companies. This system should be convenient for consumers – in terms of availability, speed, simplicity, accessibility, and reliability – promote transparency, and contribute to meeting the targets to which the country is obligated for plastic beverage packaging:
• Return rate of 77% by 2025 and above 90% from 2029 onwards;
• Incorporation rate of recycled material in beverage bottle production (known as “rPET”) of 25% by 2025 and above 30% from 2030 onwards).
The Deposit Refund System, as proposed by SDR Portugal, is a complementary alternative to the current system, based on a more sustainable, transparent, and efficient solution that prioritizes the convenience of the consumer-citizen, creating conditions for the necessary behaviour change.
SDR Portugal – Deposit Refund System
SDR Portugal is comprised of companies in the beverage industry and retailers operating in Portugal, including: Água do Fastio, Águas das Caldas de Penacova, COCA-COLA, Empresa das Águas do Areeiro, Empresa das Águas do Vimeiro, Empresa de Cervejas da Madeira, Font Salem Portugal, Grupo Areeiro, Monchique Mineral Water, Parmalat Portugal, SCC – Sociedade Central de Cervejas, Sumol+Compal, Super Bock Group, UNILEVER FIMA, as well as the Associations APIAM – Águas Minerais e de Nascente de Portugal and PROBEB – Associação Portuguesa das Bebidas Refrescantes Não Alcoólicas (which make up the Circular Drinks Association and represent 90% of the Refreshing Beverage Industry’s market share) and the retail brands Auchan, Intermarché, Lidl, Pingo Doce, MCSonae, Mercadona, makro, and Dia Portugal (comprising the SDRetalhistas Association, which accounts for over 80% of the total Portuguese distribution market). The industry and retail sectors are coming together with the mission to fulfil what they believe is a national imperative: increasing the number of collected and recycled packaging while reducing their environmental impact and contributing to Portugal’s commitment to meeting its targets. At the same time, they aim to create conditions to stimulate technological innovation and the competitiveness of Portuguese companies, boosting the national economy.
With the implementation of the Deposit Refund System, SDR Portugal – through its shareholders – anticipates an investment exceeding 100 million euros, of which 70 million should be allocated within the first two years (the minimum implementation period of the system following the issuance of the license) and the creation of more than 1,500 direct and indirect jobs. Nationwide, the proposed system envisions the deployment of 3,600 return machines, retrieval equipment with integrated technology that accepts used packaging. In addition to installation on large retail surfaces (2,600). Out of the universe of 90,000 points in traditional commerce and the HORECA channel, the proposed system aims to ensure the collection of packaging from more than one-third of the total. Comprising major Packagers (Producers and Distributors) with national coverage, SDR aims to simultaneously manage an efficient system, thanks to the achieved economies of scale. It will reduce the complexity of the registration system for the covered packaging, simplifying operations for packagers and retailers with more transparent costs and operations. This will also lead to a reduction in regulatory costs for the government with equity in the applied fees. This will also lead to a reduction in regulatory costs for the government with equity in the applied fees. This new system will provide greater clarity for consumers, contribute to higher recycling rates to meet European targets, and help reduce littering by up to 40% and marine litter.
About the Grupo Dia
Every Day Closer
We are Grupo Dia, the leading network of proximity stores with nearly 6,000 establishments in Portugal, Spain, Argentina, and Brazil. We are the neighbourhood store, the one that provides an easy, fast, and complete shopping experience close to home, with quality products at an affordable price, both through our physical stores and our online channel.
Our first Dia store opened its doors in Madrid in 1979. Today, four decades later, with proximity as our strength and diversity as our banner, the more than 38,500 people that work in our stores, warehouses, and offices, along with the 18,000 in our franchise network, are driven by the same goal: to be closer to people every day so that we all have the quality we deserve within reach.
To achieve this goal, we have a strong network of suppliers, with 86% of our purchases made locally. This allows us to offer affordable food to our 45 million customers worldwide, with a complete assortment, a clear commitment to fresh products, and a renewed Dia brand.
Together, we have built a company that has been listed on the Spanish stock exchange since 2011 and achieved an annual turnover of 6.6 billion in 2021. Furthermore, we work every day to generate a positive impact wherever we operate, thanks to job and self-employment opportunities: for every direct job, the Dia Group generates 2.7 total jobs in the economy, resulting in more than 151,099 direct and indirect jobs and making a total contribution to GDP of 9.274 million euros.
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