How Does Norway Achieve Almost 100% Plastic Bottle Recycling?
- Editor OGN Daily
- Jun 30
- 2 min read
Would you rather have a guaranteed 10 cents in your pocket or a chance at winning $1,000?
Researchers in Canada, whose study was just published in the journal Waste Management, tested the idea of offering people who return used bottles a small chance to win a big cash prize (at odds of 1 in 10,000), instead of the standard 5- or 10-cent deposit reward.
The result? Participants recycled 47 percent more bottles for the chance at a $1,000 prize. “This small change in how we reward recycling made a big difference. People were more excited, more engaged, and they brought in more bottles,” says Dr. Jiaying Zhao, associate professor in the department of psychology at the University of British Columbia and senior author of the study.
“It turns out that the thrill of possibly winning a big prize is more motivating than a small guaranteed reward. It’s the same reason people buy lottery tickets; That tiny chance of a big win is exciting.”
The researchers found that people even felt happier when they had a shot at the big prize, even if they didn’t actually win - a feeling called “anticipatory happiness” - that made the act of recycling more enjoyable. All of this is modeled after an existing scheme in Norway which is wildly successful.
“Norway is the only country in the world that has a similar recycling lottery, and their bottle return rate is close to 100 percent,” Dr. Zhao said. “The probabilistic refund could be their secret sauce. We hope Canada can adopt this innovative idea as well.”
In Norway, the bottle recycling lottery was implemented over a decade ago, and now, approximately 97 percent of all plastic beverage containers are returned across the country. Here, the model is choice-driven, giving people the option to choose between the guaranteed refund of a few cents or the chance to win anywhere from 5 to 100,000 euros.
