Michi Photostory

If you will visit Norway, for the first time, you will immediately notice the cleanliness and iba na ang simoy ng hangin, fresh air talaga. So I was not surprised when Norway is always part of the Top 10 Cleanest Countries in the world. 

According to the World Population Review site, cleanliness is not just about the look but it should lead to a better and longer life by having clean air, pure water, waste management, and effective sanitation for human health. 

Denmark - 82.5 

Luxembourg - 82.3 

Switzerland - 81.5 

United Kingdom - 81.3 

France - 80 

Austria - 79.6 

Finland - 78.9 

Sweden - 78.7 

Norway - 77.7 

Germany - 77.2 

Based on the article, Norway scored a perfect 100 score for Sanitation and Drinking water, which is true because you can drink their tap water. No need to buy bottled water. But of course, there are occasions when we still buy bottled water, juice, or soft drink pero hindi madalas kasi ang mahal.

In addition, there is an extra fee every time you buy bottled juice, water, or soda, and soda or beer in cans, the rate is ranging from 1 to 2.5NOK. This fee is called “pant” or deposit in English. I remember when I was young, uso pa dati yung “deposit” kung bibili ka ng soft drinks na nasa glass bottle. So you need to return the bottle in order to claim your deposit. 

In Norway, they have pant machines at the entrance of the supermarket so it would be easy for people to return plastic bottles and cans. The rate varies depending on the size of the bottles and cans, sometimes meron pa nare-reject so make sure in good condition yung isosoli mo. The machine will total your returns and will give you a receipt which you can use to pay for your groceries or if you are generous, you can just donate it to charity using the machine too. 

This is one thing that I wish we have in the Philippines before I used to collect plastic bottles and cans and visit junkshops but I stopped doing this because I realized, mas malaki expense namin sa pagpunta sa junkshop kaysa sa nakukuha. But I still collect them in a separate trash bag pero sa garbage collector ko na binibigay. 

As far as I can remember, there are only two trash bins during my last visit to my mom so I was surprised when I saw 3 trash bins last year. So may nagbago na naman, so they have bins for plastic packaging, food, and organic leftover and general waste. On top of that, they still collect paper, metal, glass, and other loose and oversized waste; this waste needs to deliver to a recycling station. As well as garden waste should be delivered to waste disposal points. 

If you have clothes, shoes, towels, curtains, bedlinen, and others that you are not using, you can donate them to Salvation Army. In Norway, there are collection bins where you can put this stuff. Every time we visit Norway, marami ako naiiwan na gamit ng anak ko because I know malalakihan na niya yun and hindi na magagamit pa. So kapag wala mapagbigyan mama ko, she will drop my son’s stuff in these collection bins.