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TOTE

Terms of Service

Last updated: 14 August 2026

1. Identification

These Terms of Service govern the use of the TOTE platform and its doorstep selective recycling service, operated by TOTE, UNIPESSOAL LDA, with registered office at Avenida da Liberdade 435, 1685-778 Famões (Odivelas), Portugal, tax and registration number 519259254, registered at the Commercial Registry of Vieira do Minho, hereinafter referred to as "TOTE".

Contact: [email protected]

2. Service Description

TOTE provides a doorstep household waste collection service covering the four standard fractions: paper/cardboard, plastic/metal, glass and residual (general) waste. There are two ways to buy it: subscribing to a plan with weekly pickups, or buying a single one-off pickup with no subscription. On the pickup day, the customer may leave the sorted bags at the door or hand them directly to the courier. Couriers approved through TOTE's onboarding process (which includes a waste-sorting assessment) collect each bag and deliver it to the appropriate municipal container — recyclable bags to the matching ecopoint and the residual waste bag to the general waste container.

Customers who subscribe to a plan choose between two plan modes at sign-up:

  • TOTE bags plan — TOTE ships the 4-fraction bags to the customer's address by postal mail (CTT), with replenishment anticipated to avoid stock-outs.
  • Customer-supplied bags plan — the customer uses their own bags of any brand, at a lower subscription price.

Bag delivery by the courier is not performed during this initial phase.

The service is available in the areas where TOTE currently operates; check your postal code at tote.eco to confirm availability. Coverage may be expanded over time.

3. Subscription and Payment

Recurring use of the service is provided through a paid subscription; a customer who does not wish to subscribe may instead buy a one-off pickup, as set out in section 3a. Plans are billed monthly, in advance, through Stripe, a globally trusted payment platform used by companies such as Amazon, Google, and Shopify. The customer selects the desired plan mode (with or without TOTE bags) and the pickup frequency (number of pickups per week) during the sign-up process; the final price varies according to both choices.

Prices are displayed inclusive of VAT at the legal rate in force. Invoices are issued electronically and sent automatically by email.

3a. One-off Pickup (single purchase, no subscription)

Alongside the subscription plans, TOTE offers the one-off pickup: the purchase of a single pickup, with no subscription and no future commitment.

  • Price and payment. €1.00 including VAT, paid once, by card or MB WAY. There is no renewal and no recurring charge.
  • Bags. A one-off pickup always uses the customer's own bags. TOTE does not ship bags under this option.
  • Scheduling. The pickup is scheduled for the date and time period chosen by the customer, up to one month ahead.
  • Purchase limit. Each customer may buy a maximum of 3 one-off pickups. Beyond that, continuing with the service requires subscribing to a plan.
  • Pickups TOTE cannot fulfil. The pickup is rescheduled to the next available day, like any other pickup (section 4). Only where rescheduling proves impossible is the amount paid refunded. Under this option a refund is the only possible remedy, because there is no following renewal against which to apply a credit, unlike subscriptions.

Right of withdrawal. As a consumer buying online, you are entitled to withdraw from the contract within 14 days, without giving any reason, in accordance with Decree-Law n.º 24/2014. Because a one-off pickup may be carried out within that period, at the moment of payment the customer declares that they request the immediate performance of the service and that they acknowledge losing the right of withdrawal once the pickup is done. That declaration is collected on the payment screen, by active tick, and without it the purchase does not proceed. For as long as the pickup has not been carried out, the right remains and is exercised by written notice to [email protected].

4. Plan Changes, Rescheduling and Cancellation

The customer may change plans or cancel the subscription at any time through the customer area. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. No refunds are issued for the remaining period after cancellation.

Customer-initiated rescheduling. The customer may reschedule a future pickup to another day (earlier or later) within the same period of the day (Morning, Afternoon or Night) and within the same billing cycle, with at least 2 hours' notice before the start of the original period. Rescheduling moves an existing pickup — it does not create extra pickups. It does not affect bag balance or compensate for incidents.

Right of withdrawal (consumer). As a consumer subscribing online, you are entitled to withdraw from this contract within 14 days from the date of subscription, without giving any reason, in accordance with Decree-Law n.º 24/2014. To exercise this right, send a written notice to [email protected]. If you have requested that the service start during the withdrawal period (which is the default, as the first pickups are scheduled within the next 30 days), you remain entitled to withdraw, but you must pay an amount proportional to the service already provided up to the notice date (Article 14 of the same Decree-Law).

TOTE does not refund unused pickups. If a scheduled pickup cannot be fulfilled by TOTE, it will be rescheduled to the next available calendar day. If rescheduling is not possible within 3 months, a proportional monetary credit is applied to the next renewal. Proportional monetary credit means the value of the pickup service that was not provided. It excludes the costs TOTE has already incurred regardless of whether the pickup takes place, namely the bags, where the plan includes them, the online payment fee and taxes. Customers on a 7x/week plan always receive a monetary credit for missed pickups, as all calendar days are scheduled pickup days and rescheduling to a free day is not possible.

Pickups missed due to customer unavailability. If, on the scheduled day and time window, the customer has not made the bags accessible to the courier and is not available to grant access (for example, to open the building door), the pickup is deemed fulfilled by TOTE and gives rise to no rescheduling and no credit, as the courier attended as scheduled. A customer who believes a pickup was incorrectly recorded (e.g., the courier was let in and the bags were at the door) may file a complaint as set out in section 9.

TOTE may suspend the service if the customer's payment method fails on 3 consecutive attempts, until a valid payment method is provided. TOTE may also terminate the subscription with 15 days' written notice by email if the customer repeatedly violates sorting rules or bag usage policies described in these terms. Repeated violations are evidenced through municipal feedback, quality sampling or pickup audits — not through routine inspection of bag contents by the courier.

5. Customer Obligations

  • Sort household waste correctly into the four fractions (paper/cardboard, plastic/metal, glass and residual waste) according to municipal rules and TOTE guidance.
  • Place the bags at the door on the scheduled day and time window and, in apartment buildings or controlled-access addresses, be available to grant the courier access (for example, to open the building door) during the time window. Handing the bags over in person is not required.
  • Keep payment methods up to date in the customer area.
  • Provide accurate personal and address information.
  • Bag usage (plans with TOTE bag supply): Bags provided by TOTE are intended exclusively for the TOTE service and may not be used for other purposes. The number of bags collected per pickup is limited to reasonable household volumes: a maximum of 3 bags per waste type and 8 bags in total, per pickup. Excessive bag consumption beyond normal usage may result in additional charges (see section 5a) or service review.
  • Customer-supplied bags (plans without TOTE bag supply): The customer may use bags of any brand. To allow the courier to deliver each bag to the correct municipal container, bags should be visually distinguishable by fraction — typically by colour (blue, yellow, green, black) or by clear labelling. The limits of 3 bags per fraction and 8 bags in total, per pickup, also apply to customer-supplied bags.
  • Bags containing hazardous materials (e.g., chemicals, batteries, sharp objects) may be refused by the courier when these are visible or apparent. Couriers do not inspect the contents of closed bags — sorting accuracy remains the customer's responsibility. Any rejection of poorly sorted waste at municipal containers is performed by the municipal services, not by TOTE.
  • Bulky items must fit the container opening: Cardboard boxes should be torn, folded or flattened so they fit through the narrow opening of the blue container. The same applies to bulky plastic or metal packaging destined for the yellow container. Items that do not fit the container opening may be refused by the courier.
  • Volta deposit scheme: Beverage containers bearing the Volta symbol (PET bottles and metal cans up to 3L) should preferably be returned at designated Volta collection points to recover the €0.10 deposit. These containers should not be placed in TOTE bags. Containers without the Volta symbol continue to go in the yellow (plastic/metal) bag as usual.

5a. Additional Bag Charges

Each subscription plan with bag supply includes a defined monthly allowance of recycling bags per waste type. If the customer requires additional bags beyond the included allowance within the same billing cycle, an extra charge (plus VAT) per additional roll will be applied to the next invoice, according to the bag type and the price list in force. The customer will be notified of the applicable amount before any additional charge is applied.

6. TOTE Obligations

  • Provide the pickup service on the scheduled days and within the agreed time windows.
  • Ensure couriers are approved through TOTE's onboarding (waste-sorting assessment with the minimum passing score set by TOTE).
  • Deliver collected materials to the appropriate public containers: residual waste bags to the general waste container; yellow bags (plastic/metal) directly into the yellow container; the contents of blue bags (paper/cardboard) into the blue container and the bag itself into the yellow container; the contents of green bags (glass) into the green container and the bag itself into the yellow container.
  • Send notifications before and after each pickup.
  • Issue invoices for all payments processed.

7. Couriers

Couriers are independent professionals with their own tax registration. TOTE is not responsible for any damage caused by couriers. Couriers are required to hold valid work accident insurance.

8. Liability

TOTE is not responsible for service interruptions caused by force majeure, extreme weather conditions, public health emergencies, or unavailability of couriers. In such cases, pickups will be rescheduled as soon as reasonably possible.

TOTE is not responsible for contamination or rejection of waste at municipal containers due to incorrect sorting by the customer. Inspection and rejection of materials, when they occur, are carried out by the municipal services or local authorities — not by TOTE personnel.

9. Disputes and Complaints

If the customer disagrees with a pickup record (e.g., marked as "no one answered" when bags were placed at the door), they may raise a complaint through the customer area or by email to [email protected] within 7 days of the pickup date. TOTE will review the available evidence (timestamps, GPS data, and courier photos when available) and respond within 10 business days.

10. Intellectual Property

The TOTE brand, logo, platform, website content, and all associated materials are the intellectual property of TOTE, UNIPESSOAL LDA. Customers may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from TOTE materials without prior written permission.

11. Account Security

The customer is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their account credentials. TOTE must be notified immediately at [email protected] of any unauthorized access or suspected security breach. TOTE is not liable for losses resulting from unauthorized use of the customer's account.

12. Changes to These Terms

TOTE reserves the right to update these Terms of Service. Customers will be notified by email at least 15 days before any changes take effect. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

13. Applicable Law, ADR and Jurisdiction

These terms are governed by Portuguese law. Any disputes shall be submitted to the courts of the Lisbon judicial district, without prejudice to the consumer's mandatory rights.

Alternative Dispute Resolution. In accordance with Law n.º 144/2015 of 8 September, TOTE informs consumers that the competent ADR body for disputes regarding this service is:

CNIACC — Centro Nacional de Informação e Arbitragem de Conflitos de Consumo
Universidade Nova de Lisboa — FDUNL, Campus de Campolide, 1099-032 Lisboa
Email: [email protected] — Site: www.cniacc.pt

Consumers may also use the European Online Dispute Resolution platform at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.

14. Contact

For questions about these Terms of Service:
Email: [email protected]
Postal address: Apartado 1, Loja Odivelas, 2676-901 Odivelas