Study finds gap between green concern and Volta System use

A study by Católica-Lisbon SBE's Behavioral Insights Unit finds that most Portuguese express strong environmental concern in consumption choices, but this rarely translates into regular use of the Sistema Volta deposit-return scheme. While 82.8% say they know the system well, 35.5% never use it, against 36.4% who use it frequently or always. Researchers note that prior experience with the system correlates strongly with intention to reuse it, suggesting habit formation matters more than awareness. Women showed slightly higher environmental concern and intention to use the system than men. The survey covered 964 people, skewed towards ages 40-59.

This appeared in the Pulse of 18 September 2026 — Read that edition →