Two Algarve Beach Workers Aim for €1,000 via Portugal's Volta Deposit Return Scheme

Rafael Santos and a colleague, employed by a beach concession at Garrão in Loulé, Algarve, have turned their routine beach‑cleaning duties into a small‑scale money‑making venture. Since the Volta deposit‑return system began operating a little over three months ago, they collect plastic and metal beverage containers, each worth ten cents, that are left by visitors of the nearby restaurants and bars.

In roughly three weeks they amassed more than 2,500 containers, delivering them to a Volta point where they received vouchers worth about €250 in a single trip and have earned roughly €400 so far. They set a new target: to reach €1,000 by the end of the summer. Their progress is documented on a TikTok page called “Rumo a 1000 € no Volta,” which has attracted hundreds of thousands of likes and millions of views. Rafael notes that “as pessoas deixam muitas embalagens com o símbolo Volta” on the sand, making the collection feasible.