What Infinitum does

Infinitum AS is the industry-funded operator of Norway's national deposit-return system for beverage containers (plastic bottles and aluminum cans), headquartered in Oslo and founded in 1999 to manage a system that originated in 1902. The company runs a physical infrastructure of 3,500+ automated reverse vending machines and ~10,000 manual collection points across 15,000+ Norwegian retail locations, plus four processing facilities (Fetsund/Heia, Bjerkvik, Klæbu/Vassfjellet, Ålgård) where collected material is sorted, washed, crushed into flakes, pelletized, and converted into raw material for new bottles and cans. In 2025, Infinitum processed 1.66 billion units (+4.5% YoY), achieving the world's highest collection rates: 98.2% for plastic and 97.9% for cans.

The business model is producer/industry-funded rather than venture-backed. Beverage producers and importers (200+ members) pay a one-time NOK 10,000 registration fee plus per-unit producer responsibility (PA) costs; in return, members achieving a 95% collection rate are exempt from state environmental taxes. Retailers and hospitality venues receive handling fees (NOK 0.10–0.281 per unit depending on collection method) for accepting returns, with free pickup logistics. Additional revenue accrues from unclaimed deposits and processing/sale of recycled material to downstream recyclers (e.g., Novelis, Veolia). The system costs consumers only ~NOK 0.04 per unit on average.

Customers are organized into five primary segments: beverage producers and importers, retail outlets (15,000+), hospitality venues (restaurants, hotels, festivals), community organizations (1,200+ clubs, associations, schools), and Norwegian Red Cross rescue teams (100+). The company's go-to-market is enterprise field sales supported by online portals (customerportal.infinitum.no, producerportal.infinitum.no). Infinitum has 100+ employees and is led by CEO Kjell Olav A. Maldum. In March 2026 the company secured Norwegian exemption from EU PPWR reuse requirements, preserving the deposit-return model against a multi-year regulatory threat.

Name

Infinitum

Legal name

Infinitum

Website

https://infinitum.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Infinitum AS operates Norway's national deposit-return system for plastic bottles and aluminum cans, processing 1.66 billion units annually across 15,000+ retail locations. It serves beverage producers, retailers, hospitality venues, and community organizations as an industry-funded, membership-based organization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Beverage Container Deposit Return and Recycling Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Waste Collection (5621), Plastics Bottle Manufacturing (326160)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Metal Cans (3411), Glass Containers (3221), Beverages (2080), Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging Recovery & Closed-Loop Programs (Take-Back, Deposit-Return, EPR Support) (IMALAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Deposit Return System (DRS) / Bottle Bill Counting & Processing Centers (BPALADAK), Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops) (EUAIANAE), Beverage Packaging (Bottles, Cans, Cartons, Kegs) (IMALAHAD), Beverage Cans (Aluminum & Steel) (IMALADAA)

Keywords

• Deposit return system
• Beverage container recycling
• Reverse vending machines
• Producer responsibility organization
• Circular economy infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Producer/importer membership fees and PR costs: Producers and importers of beverages pay a base fee (PA cost) per unit sold to Infinitum for participating in the deposit system. Membership costs NOK 10,000 per company (one-time registration fee). As a member, producers are exempt from the state environmental tax if the 95% collection rate threshold is met. The PR cost (producer responsibility cost) is calculated per unit sold.
2. State environmental tax collection and exemption: Non-member producers pay a full environmental tax to the state. Members who achieve 95% collection rate for their material stream are exempt. This creates a strong financial incentive for producers to join and support Infinitum's operations.
3. Handling fees from retail and hospitality partners: Retail outlets and hospitality venues receive handling fees for collecting deposits: NOK 0.10 per plastic bottle and NOK 0.05 per can for manual collection; NOK 0.281 per plastic bottle and NOK 0.225 per can for reverse vending machine operators (2026 rates). These fees are paid to collection partners as part of the cost of running the system.
4. Deposit flows and unclaimed deposits: Consumer deposits are paid at purchase and refunded upon return. Unclaimed deposit money goes toward operating and further developing the deposit system.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Infinitum operates Norway's national deposit return system for beverage containers, collecting plastic bottles and aluminum cans through a network of 3,500+ reverse vending machines and ~10,000 manual collection points. The company provides producer and importer membership services, retailer and hospitality venue deposit collection logistics with free pickup, runs its own processing facilities that convert returned containers into flake and pellet raw material, and returns collected aluminum to Novelis' recycling plant in the UK. In 2025, 1.08 billion cans and 579 million plastic bottles were returned through the system, achieving 98.2% collection rate for plastic and 97.9% for cans.

Product overview

Infinitum operates Norway's deposit return system for beverage containers, which is one of the world's most efficient recycling systems with a 98% total collection rate. The core offering is the Norwegian Deposit System (Pantesystemet), which manages the collection and recycling of plastic bottles and aluminum cans. The company provides multiple digital platforms including the Customer Portal for businesses and organizations to manage deposit collection and scheduling, and the Producer Portal for beverage producers and importers to register products and calculate costs. Additional services include PET beer keg deposit programs for hospitality venues, reverse vending machine operations at over 3,500 retail locations, and specialized collection programs for the Norwegian Red Cross and clubs/associations/schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Norwegian Deposit System (Pantesystemet) The Norwegian national deposit and return system for beverage packaging, operated by Infinitum since 1999. Collects plastic bottles and aluminum cans through reverse vending machines and manual collection points across Norway, achieving 98.2% total collection rate for plastic and 97.9% for cans.
• Producer Portal (producerportal.infinitum.no) Online portal for beverage producers and importers to register products, calculate costs, report monthly sales, download deposit labels, and manage their membership with Infinitum.
• Customer Portal (customerportal.infinitum.no) Online portal for businesses, clubs, associations, schools, and organizations to register for deposit collection services, schedule free pickups, view statistics, and manage deposit returns.
• Reverse Vending Machine Services Automated deposit collection services through reverse vending machines that accept, register, compress, and process plastic bottles and aluminum cans at 3,500+ locations across Norway.
• PET Beer Keg Deposit System Deposit return system for PET plastic beer kegs including Draught Master and KeyKegs, enabling hospitality venues to return empty beer kegs for recycling.
• Hospitality Venue Deposit Services Deposit collection services for restaurants, pubs, hotels, and festivals including free pickup (within 5 days of ordering), handling fees (NOK 0.05 per can, NOK 0.10 per bottle), and provision of bags, containers and equipment.
• Retail Outlet Deposit Services Deposit collection services for retail outlets, providing free pickup of collected materials and handling fees per unit (NOK 0.281/bottle and NOK 0.225/can for reverse vending machine operators in 2026; NOK 0.10/bottle and NOK 0.05/can for manual collection).
• Clubs, Associations and Schools Deposit Program Deposit collection program enabling Norwegian clubs, associations, and schools to earn fundraising income by collecting empty bottles and cans. Over 1,200 organizations participate, receiving 100% of deposits plus handling fee (NOK 0.10/bottle, NOK 0.05/can) and earning NOK 5,000-50,000 per year.
• Norwegian Red Cross Deposit Collection Scheme Partnership program enabling Norwegian Red Cross rescue teams to earn NOK 550 per collected bag by collecting empty bottles and cans in cabin areas and recreational sites. Over 100 rescue teams have participated since 2001, collecting over NOK 20 million for local initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98.2% total collection rate for plastic bottles and 97.9% for cans — world's highest
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Novelis Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026Novelis Inc. and Infinitum have renewed their long-term partnership to recycle aluminum beverage cans from Norway. UBCs (used beverage cans) are shipped from Norway to Novelis' recycling plant in Latchford, UK, where they are processed into new beverage cans. The agreement supports Novelis' Vision 3x30 targets for 75% average recycled content and reduced CO2e emissions intensity by 2030. Infinitum provides full transparency on volumes, quality, and lead times for cost-efficient operations, creating a functioning circular economy loop.
• VeoliacoreTechnology or IntegrationVeolia operates one of two sorting and processing facilities in Infinitum's network. At Veolia's facility, deposited bottles and cans go through 9 steps: receipt of deposits, automatic unpacking, initial sorting, quality control, manual sorting, compression, storage, loading and transport, and preparation for processing. The processed material then goes to Infinitum's own facility for further processing.
• NORSUS (Norwegian Institute for Sustainability Research)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNORSUS (formerly Østfold Research) collaborated with Infinitum to develop Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) providing comprehensive environmental impact data for cans and bottles — from raw material extraction and production through to use, deposit, and recycling. Analyses include transportation and energy use at every stage.
• Grønt PunktminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrønt Punkt (Utviklingssjef Johannes Daae) participated in Infinitum's waste hierarchy seminar. Explained EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) requirements and implications for Norwegian waste policy.
• RingnesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRingnes (Direktør for corporate affairs Johanna Ellefsen Rostad) presented their 'Blåkassen' closed-loop reuse system for glass bottles in the out-of-home market, which has very high return rates. Also a member of Infinitum's deposit system.
• Norges Røde Kors (Norwegian Red Cross)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInfinitum has a dedicated scheme for Norwegian Red Cross rescue teams to earn money by collecting empty bottles and cans for deposit. All deposit money collected goes directly to support local initiatives. Since 2001, over 100 rescue teams have participated and collected over NOK 20 million. Collection bins are placed in cabin areas and recreational sites across Norway.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/infinitumno
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/infinitum-as
• Instagraminstagram.com/infinitum_
• Xx.com/infinitumno

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Infinitum