♻️ Sorting and pant: how not to "fall out" of eco-friendly habits when renting 🏡✨

Waste fractions: a quick guide

The basic waste streams are almost the same everywhere — only the colours of the bags/containers differ:

● Food waste (matavfall). Separate bag/container. In Bergen (BIR) — paper bags, collected every two weeks.

● Plastic packaging (plastemballasje). Separate from "hard" items; clean and dry. In Oslo, there are purple bags for plastic packaging and green bags for food ( , both are placed in the same container — optical sorting).

● Paper/cardboard/doypacks. Separately (sometimes together with "drink cartons"). Specific combinations vary by municipality.

● Glass and metal packaging. These are taken outside the home to grey/green "bells" (returpunkt). This is only packaging: cans/bottles/lids/foil; tableware, stained glass, ceramics do not go here.

● Residual waste (restavfall). Anything that does not fit into any of the separate streams.

Note: specific colours/collection frequencies vary. If in doubt, use the national reference guide Sortere.no.

Where and how to dispose of it: apartment, campsite, "bring" points

At home/campsite. Follow the landlord's instructions: usually 2-3 fractions "at home", plus a trip/walk to the nearest returpunkt for glass and metal. In Oslo alone, there are hundreds of glass and metal collection points located throughout the city.

Giant and "unusual" items. Take them to a gjenvinningsstasjon (city collection station). In Oslo, there are Haraldrud/Grønmo/Smestad and "medium" stations; they also accept items for reuse.

Find your nearest collection point. The national map Sortere shows returpunkt, stations, special collection points and cottage (hytterenovasjon) collection points — just select your municipality.

Pant system: deposit on containers (how it works)

● What is pant? Almost all disposable beverage bottles/cans in Norway have a deposit of 2 NOK (≤ 0.5 l) or 3 NOK (≥ 0.5 l). The label has a Pant mark.

● Where to return them. Return them to any shop/petrol station/kiosk that sells drinks — this is the return-to-retail model. The machine will issue a receipt for the return/donation.

● Charity is optional. Some machines have a Pantelotteriet button — press it to donate your deposit to the Norwegian Red Cross and automatically enter a lottery (prizes range from 50 to 1,000,000 NOK).

If there is no pant sign on the can/bottle, it is glass or metal packaging: take it to the "bell" at the shop.

Batteries, light bulbs, electronics (and hazardous waste)

● Batteries. Most shops have boxes/collection points for household batteries — disposal is free of charge.

● Electrical and electronic waste (EE-avfall). By law, shops selling electronics/lamps/batteries are required to accept relevant waste from consumers free of charge, even if you are not purchasing a new item.

● Hazardous waste (paint/chemicals, etc.). Take it to a special container/station. Example: in Stavanger, there are red containers for hazardous waste near houses with free collection on request; electronics and batteries can also be taken to shops. Check with your local authority.

"Minimal plastic" when travelling — what you can actually do

● Bring a reusable bottle/mug; choose large packages.

● Use bags/eco-bags for shopping; avoid single-use items.

● Remember: Norway is consistently tightening its requirements for packaging collection and recycling, including new targets from 2025. This is a reason to sort more carefully.

Oslo / Bergen / Small municipalities

Oslo.
— Purple bags are for plastic, green bags are for food; they are placed in one container and sorted by the city.
— Take glass and metal to the "bell" (there are many of them in the city).
— Large/'complex' items should be taken to municipal stations (Haraldrud/Grønmo/Smestad).

Bergen and BIR municipalities.
— Three "household" bins — leftovers/food/paper (+ glass and metal to the returpunkt); food in brown paper bags.
— The BossNett underground pneumatic system (coloured funnels/containers) is partially operational in the city centre: paper + plastic — blue, leftovers — green, glass/metal — "bell".

Small/northern municipalities (example: Tromsø/Remiks).
— Sets and colours may vary (e.g. separate container for metal packaging with an orange lid). Always check the local diagram and use Sortere.no.

To find your nearest container return and sorting point, open the national map Sortere (returpunkt, stations, points for cottages, etc.), select your municipality and the appropriate filter.

This overview does not replace legal/environmental advice. Check your municipality's rules and sorting schemes locally.