Panteautomat

PanteautomatHere’s something which may or may not be unique to Norway, but I haven’t experienced a system like this elsewhere. Whenever you buy a soft drink bottle, or a beer bottle or a beer can, the money you pay for it includes pant. The amount of pant you pay depends on the type of can or bottle. For example, a 0.5l plastic bottle of water has 1kr pant and 0.6l has 2.5kr. This is a money deposit that is returned to you if you bring your empties back to the shop. This is best experienced in a supermarket, where you can do this at a self-service machine, the Panteautomat.


Panteautomat
First you put your bottle into the hole. A conveyor belt comes to life and – whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr – your bottle is taken deep into its belly.

Panteautomat
As you add each bottle, the amount of pant owing to you is totted up on the screen.

Panteautomat
When you’re finished, you press the green button and out slides your receipt.

Panteautomat
You take this to the till. The cashier scans the barcode and pays you the amount, or takes it off your shopping bill.

Save the planet!

barry
Barry Kavanagh writes fiction, and has made music, formerly with Dacianos.

Contact him here.

Leave a Response