Finland's system for returning drink containers started in the 1950s, and today almost every bottle and can is recycled. Convenience is the cornerstone of the system's success.
Nowadays there are almost 5,000 container-return machines across Finland. Most of them are located in the same shops that sell drinks, making returning them a convenient part of people's routine. Hotels, restaurants, offices, schools and event organizers return containers through their drink providers.
The return machines are easy to use. You place a bottle or can on a set of mini conveyor belts at the front of the machine. They carry it past a scanner and out of sight. The machine sorts the bottles and crushes the cans. When you're done, you press a button and the machine gives you a receipt. Plastic bottles are worth 20 to 40 cents, depending on their size, while glass bottles are worth 10 to 40 cents and aluminium(铝) cans are 15 cents. The returned containers are recycled or the materials are reused. Across Finland, on average, every Finn returns 373 items in a year: 251 aluminium cans, 98 plastic bottles and 24 glass bottles.
The government has entrusted this function to the private agency. "Palpa is completely nonprofit and receives no government funding," says Tommi Vihavainen, Palpa's director of producer services, ICT and communication.
Russia, the UK and other countries have shown interest in the Finnish system. "Most visitors want to see how the return system works in Finland," says Vihavainen. "We don't act as consultants, but we're proud to present our system."
