Strange things seen in Copenhagen, no.1

After living here in Copenhagen for just over six years now, there are some things that no longer seem strange to me, but which I found very puzzling when I first arrived. One of these was the many people in the city (well-dressed as well as not) who will wander up to a rubbish bin in the street and poke around in it, looking for empty bottles.

Denmark uses a system of deposits on glass and plastic bottles and cans to encourage recycling. After you have finished your drink you can take the container back to the supermarket, put it into a 'reverse vending machine' and you get a voucher that you can use in that store.

These means that as well as people rooting around in bins in the street, there are often queues in the supermarkets at the weekends (especially after big holidays like Christmas and New Year) of people returning crate after crate of their Carlsberg bottles. (Actually the picture in that link is rather civilised compared with the reality of the machine jamming when it thinks you're putting in the bottles too fast, or of realising just too late that the can still had some dregs left in it, as they trickle down your arm and seep into your sleeve.)

On the whole, I think the system is a great idea - recycling without really thinking about it, and it brings the added amusement of watching visitors' faces when they see that guy delve into the bin for a prized Tuborg can.