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Norway: a statutory deposit mark, and sorting pictograms that remain a choice
Norway requires beverage packaging within a deposit arrangement to carry a deposit mark showing the refund rate. The national sorting pictograms remain voluntary. PPWR requirements depend on incorporation into the EEA Agreement and Norwegian implementation. EU adoption and the EU application date do not, of themselves, make the Regulation Norwegian law.
The question this report answers
Norway combines a statutory deposit mark with voluntary national sorting pictograms. Section 6-6 of the Waste Regulations requires beverage inner packaging participating in a deposit arrangement to carry a deposit mark showing the applicable refund rate. The mark must be at least 9 mm by 9 mm and be printed on the container or its label; imported and small-series products may use a sticker. Refund rates are NOK 2 for containers up to and including 50 cl and NOK 3 above 50 cl unless a special rate is approved.
Infinitum administers the principal system for non-refillable plastic bottles and metal cans. Products are registered and the barcode, deposit symbol and physical package are reviewed before launch. The separate Sorteringsmerker system provides common waste-fraction graphics for packages and bins. It is nationally coordinated and controlled but voluntary on packaging. The two systems are not one Norwegian recycling label.
Legal status at a glance
| Requirement | Status | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit mark and refund rate | mandatory | Covered inner beverage packaging in a deposit scheme carries a mark at least 9 mm by 9 mm showing the deposit amount. |
| Approved barcode and package testing | mandatory / scheme | Infinitum participants submit artwork, barcode and package samples for registration and technical approval. |
| National sorting pictograms | voluntary | The Sorteringsmerker system is a controlled national convention, not a universal statutory on-pack duty. |
| PPWR harmonised labels | pending EEA incorporation | EU adoption does not by itself make the Regulation directly applicable in Norway. |
What section 6-6 puts on the bottle
The statutory mark must show the refund rate, satisfy the minimum size and remain on the primary beverage container or label. Infinitum’s technical process adds product registration, artwork approval, barcode review and package testing. Unique Norwegian barcodes reduce cross-border refund risk; international barcodes can be subject to additional controls and fees. The producer or importer bears the risk if the package cannot be recognised or fails material and shape requirements. A product should not launch as deposit-bearing until design approval and technical testing are complete. The mark confirms refund eligibility, not general recyclability.
For beverage deposits, producers and importers register with the approved return system; sellers return reasonable quantities of containers they sell. The Environment Agency approves and supervises systems and enforces Chapters 6 and 7. Chapter 7 requires businesses producing or importing packaging or packaged products to join an approved producer-responsibility organisation. Since 1 July 2025, the former 1,000 kg threshold has been removed. Producers report quantities and finance necessary collection and treatment costs through the approved system. EPR membership is not a sorting pictogram.
Sorteringsmerker as a convention, not a statute
Sorteringsmerker uses common colours and graphics across packaging, household bins, workplaces and public collection points. LOOP operates the national system and publishes detailed rules intended to preserve legibility and recognition. The symbols may not be altered or imitated. The programme’s national reach does not convert it into a statutory on-pack duty. Producers choosing to use a pictogram should select the actual Norwegian waste fraction and distinguish the disposal instruction from claims about recycling outcomes.
Why the PPWR is not automatically Norwegian
The PPWR is relevant to Norway through the EEA framework, but EU adoption and the EU application date do not automatically create Norwegian duties. The Regulation must be incorporated into the EEA Agreement and implemented through the applicable national process. Until that occurs, future harmonised material labels should be recorded as pending EEA incorporation. The same caution applied to Iceland applies here. An EU date is not a Norwegian date.
Primary sources and verification
Norway. Waste Regulations, Chapter 6, especially sections 6-6 to 6-8. Lovdata
Norwegian Environment Agency. Beverage-packaging obligations and deposit mark. Regulator guidance
Norwegian Environment Agency. Packaging producer obligations. Regulator guidance
Infinitum. Producer and importer registration and package specifications. System operator
Sortere. National sorting-mark system and rules. Scheme source
Norwegian legislation controls. EEA incorporation must be verified independently of EU adoption. Last verified: 21 August 2026.