The managing entity also says that the number of packages has tripled in the last two months.

In a press release, Leonardo Mathias, president of SDR Portugal, states that "reaching 305 million returned packages in just five months is an extraordinary milestone and demonstrates, in a very concrete way, the significant adherence of citizens to Volta."

The same source also says people’s participation in the packaging deposit and refund system has grown significantly since it began on 10 April.

If the Volta system exceeded 10 million returned packages in its first two months, it reached 100 million in the third month, and two months later the number of returned packages reached 305 million.

SDR Portugal also says that, on average, around five million packages are delivered daily, or more than 3,400 packages per minute.

The increase in returned packaging can be explained by the expansion of the collection network, which has 3,000 automatic collection points in supermarkets and hypermarkets. SDR Portugal has also created space for areas where packaging delivery was higher, with Volta kiosks operating in Albufeira, Barcelos, Cascais, Funchal, Ponta Delgada, Portimão and Vila Nova de Famalicão. The company also plans to create five more kiosks in Almada, Aveiro, Mafra, Oeiras, and Vila do Conde.