We Could All Learn A Thing Or Two From 'Panting' Norwegians

Norwegians pant, and it's great fun. And no, it's not what you think!

Via pixabay.com

Every time you buy a disposable drink container in Norway — think a bottle of Pepsi, or a can of beer — you pay a tax on it. Fine you say, we pay taxes on everything, but in Norway, that's just the beginning of the amazing recycling journey that you're about to embark on.

After you've enjoyed your thirst quenching beverages, you can take their containers back to the supermarket, pop them into something that looks like a vending machine, and collect a voucher for each and every bottle that you return (providing it has a 'pant' label on it) to spend on household essentials, healthy snacks or more Pepsi/beer, depending which you prefer.

An ingenious idea, 'panting', as the Norwegians call it, has been around for decades, and each and every year tons and tons of plastic bottles and aluminium cans are pushed through these conveniently placed machines.

Why haven't these machines made their way to countries like the UK? Money talks, and 'panting' is a great excuse to help the environment. Nothing is more effective at getting people to do things than putting cash in their pockets for doing it.

As a side note, for those of you who are looking to do some good in the world, you can also donate the money that you receive back to charities such as the Red Cross, a very worthwhile cause.