Norway Recycles 97% Of Their Plastic Bottles. Here’s How They Do It.

Norway’s recycling program is extraordinarily successful, recycling 97% of all plastic drink bottles, with standards so high that 92% of that recycled plastic is used to make bottles. Taiwan, once nicknamed “Garbage Island,” now claims a household recycling rate of 55% and 77% of industrial waste. Germany’s recycling program boasts a 65% recycling rate, which is a source of national pride.

The United States, sadly, has a long way to go, recycling 34.7% of packaging. So, what’s so different about these recycling programs that other countries can adopt—particularly in Norway—and what makes them so successful?

A principal characteristic of many thriving programs is that there are consequences to not recycling and puts the funding of those efforts onto the manufacturer, end consumer, or both. In many recycling systems, retailers are also part of the collection process.