Portugal: Residents Scavenge Street Trash for 10‑Cent Bottle Deposits Amid Rising Poverty

Television presenter Rita Ferro Rodrigues posted on social media after seeing adults and a child rummaging through street garbage in Portugal to collect plastic bottles and cans for the 0.10 € deposit refund. She described the scene as "Portuguese of pure blood on the brink of poverty" and highlighted the contrast between well‑maintained waste‑collection services and the desperation of people who turn discarded packaging into a vital source of income.

Rita explained that the deposit system adds a small fee to each PET bottle or metal can, which is refunded when the empty container is returned to a collection point, typically a supermarket. While the scheme is meant to encourage recycling, she argued that it also exposes deep social inequality, as those in dire financial need resort to searching through others' trash for the few euros it can provide.