It’s no wonder people get confused when a coffee bag or potato chip bag from one producer can be disposed of as plastic packaging in the plastic bin, while the same type of packaging from another producer must be thrown in the residual waste bin at home.
Very good waste sorting at home
In 2025, 64% of the waste collected from all bins went to recycling — an excellent result.
However, waste composition analyses have shown that the residual waste bin contains just under 50% actual residual waste.
Residents in Arendal, Froland, and Grimstad have for many years been among the best in the country when it comes to sorting plastic, paper, cardboard, and beverage cartons. We were early adopters of source separation when we introduced it back in 1998/99.
Great potential for improvement when delivering waste at the recycling stations
Of the waste delivered to the recycling stations in 2025, only 37% was sent for recycling, meaning there is significant room for improvement in sorting.
One challenge at the recycling stations is that certain waste types are sorted differently there than at home.
For example, metal items such as frying pans should be thrown into the metal container at the recycling station. If you dispose of them at home, they must go into the residual waste bin. Only items that have been packaging should go in the glass and metal bin at home.
Waste people assume is made of mixed materials often ends up in the residual container but may contain a lot that can be recycled. Take rattan furniture or strollers, for instance — they contain a large amount of metal and should be thrown in the metal container. We often find these items in the residual container.
Don’t pay more than necessary
Employees working at the “weighing booth” often experience that many customers don’t know what they’ve brought, or they claim that everything is residual waste: plastic waste, cardboard waste, metal waste…
Leftover pieces of cardboard, plastic, and metal are not residual waste — they are still cardboard, plastic, and metal.
No matter how small the quantity is, this waste can be recycled.
“Everything” is free
Most things are free to deliver at the recycling stations — except residual waste.
Residual waste is what remains after you have sorted out everything that can be recycled (such as food waste, plastic, paper, glass and metal, wood, etc.). See a (non‑exhaustive) list of what can be delivered for free here. Residual waste consists of a mixture of various and hard‑to‑sort materials.
If you are unsure where something should go, contact a staff member — they are there to help 🙂
The Sortere app
Unsure how something should be sorted?
Should it go as cardboard, plastic, or residual waste?
We recommend the Sortere app or sortere.no.
