Panting for money!

Okay, okay, I have some explaining to do. Going to bed with a viking and now Panting for money!? Sorry, it's just my sense of humor. I like to keep you guessing.

And oddly enough, if you read panting like "to breathe quickly, spasmodically, or in a labored manner" (Webster's Dictionary) then you guessed wrong and most likely have a similar sense of humor as me. Or what is even more likely is that you are not familiar with the Norwegian language and didn't know that the panting I do for money is pronounced much more like "paunting" and has nothing to do with the English word. We're talking about recycling here people.

When you buy recyclable cans and bottles in Norway you actually pay a little extra. All these products are labeled with a pant value:

When you return your empty bottles and cans to the panting automat, you get your money back. Simple as that. Most people save their cans and bottles and pant them. Last year Norwegians recycled 326 million cans and 94 million bottles, which resulted in 5,700 tons aluminum for new cans and 3,650 tons of plastic for new bottles (pant.no).

Some people just throw them in the garbage and end up supporting the homeless who are often seen out and about collecting pant-able items from public spaces and trash cans.

I have to say, it's pretty fun to see bags full of garbage turn into money.

And all you have to do is take them with you on your way to the store (or any place you can buy the products).

And then it's so easy as to insert your empty cans into the hole you see below the "Pant Her" sign. Careful to enter them bottom first and not too quickly; the machine can be a bit sensitive.

Press the green button when you are done and just like that, you have recycled. There is also an option to put your pant money towards a Red Cross lottery. Sometimes you get even more money back, and sometimes you lose and Red Cross wins. ;)

Before Christmas, an A Capella group thanked some recyclers with a song and a little reward. Check it out:



Pant alt. Alltid.