Environmentally friendly and efficient deposit system

Infinitum has been established by the beverage manufacturers and grocery chains in Norway to conduct efficient collection and recycling of beverage bottles and cans. We do this through the mortgage scheme.

To prevent cans and bottles from becoming rubbish, the authorities have imposed a high environmental tax on beverage packaging. The fee decreases in line with the proportion of packaging collected. This motivates the industry, and is the basis for Infinitum.

Through good cooperation with consumers, trade and manufacturers, we have in recent years achieved a collection rate of over 95%, which is so good that the environmental tax for cans and bottles in our system is set to zero.

Everything is recycled

Every year, Norwegians pawn over one billion bottles and cans. We make sure that all aluminum and plastic are recycled. Our goal is for all bottles and cans with a deposit mark to be pledged and recycled, and the proportion is constantly increasing.

Anyone who produces or imports beverages can sign up for Infinitum and have their cans and bottles included in the deposit scheme. We set requirements for the packaging, so that everything that is pledged can be recycled into new beverage packaging.

The name Infinitum is taken from the Latin term "ad infinitum" which means "forever", and inspired illustrates the infinite number of times you can recycle bottles and cans in the deposit system.

This is how the mortgage scheme works

For us Norwegians, the mortgage system is a matter of course. For professionals from other countries, it is ingenious and sensational. Every year, delegations from all over the world come to Norway to learn about the Norwegian mortgage scheme. The key to success is environmental thinking at all levels.

Consumers take the empty goods back to the store. This is efficient and environmentally friendly because they still go to the store.

The pawnshop compresses cans and bottles, so that they take up as little space as possible in the further transport.

The transport further from the store utilizes free space in the trucks that have delivered goods, and which are to be returned to the wholesale warehouse. From the wholesaler, the empty goods are driven on to Infinitum's sorting plant.

Sorting takes place at Infinitum's three facilities in Bjerkvik, Trondheim and Fetsund. Plastic and aluminum are separated and further compressed for volume-efficient transport for recycling.

Recycling takes place when plastic and aluminum become new products. The deposit system ensures that all materials are of high quality, so the plastic from the bottles can be turned into new bottles, and aluminum from the boxes becomes new boxes.