Good things to know

Snow shoveling

Northern Norway is quite known for its huge amount of snow every winter. In this environment it is important to know what gear to get. The first thing we would recommend is a good snow shovel, which is a tool that is mostly used to remove snow from your entrance and/or yard.

Winter clothing

The second thing to get your hands on is a nice and warm winter jacket; here you can choose between a wide variety of different types, but the most normal ones are puffer jackets and parkases. You can also go with a warm sweater under a goretex-type jacket, as this also will keep you warm.

Waste management

In Norway we manage our main garbage into two different containers, which every household have.

The first container/trash bin has a orange lid, which goes for metal and glass. Here it is important to remove all plastic parts from the glassware (The lid of the peanutbutter for instance), and other stuff that is not glass and metal. -If not the garbage collectors will not empty the bin, and just leave it where they found it.

The second container has a black lid, and goes for all other types of garbage (excluding electronics). Here you have to distribute the garabage into different types of bags, as some goes for general waste, some goes for plastic and others for cardboard etc.

The waste collection truck usually comes once a week, and the specific day depends on your adress. The glass and metal container normally gets emptied every fourth week.

Attention! The exception to this rule is apartment complexes with communal garbage disposal, where trash is sorted into colored bags and disposed of in communal bins. Refer to the recycling guide below for information on bag colors.

Recycling guide

For other types of waste as big household appliances or furnitures you have to deliver them yourselves at your local garbage company or dump (Remiks in Tromsø). Small electronics like batteries and computers you can normally deliver to most electronic shops and some grocery stores.

Remiks information

Bottle deposit system

In Norway we do recycle our empty bottles and cans. The system is built as a greener alternative to previous recycling options of bottles. For every bottle or can you buy, you have to pay an extra amount of money according to the size of the drink. For drinks under 0,5 liters, you have to pay 2 NOK extra, and for drinks over 0,5 liters you have to pay 3 NOK extra. To get this money back, you have to deliver the empty bottles back to a store that has a bottle/can return machine.

Glass bottles goes in the glass and metal container with the orange lid, as we have talked about. Plastic bottles and metal cans on the other hand have its own type of recycling system thats called "pant". Most supermarkets and stores have machines to take care of the "pant". In the end you can take out money according to the amount of bottles you have delivered.

Economy

Norway is quite expensive in comparison to many other countries, so it is a good idea to plan your purchases, and take use of the many platforms that exists. Underneath there is a link to an article that shows the cost of living in Tromsø, so you get an estimate of the price-levels of our muncipalities.

Cost of living in Tromsø

Here you have links to some platforms to buy and sell used stuff. Its good for your economy and good for the planet. You can also get some stuff for free as people sometimes are giving it away. Both Fretex and Rebell are physical store alternatives in Tromsø, but Finn and marketplace on Facebook are only online.

Fretex

Rebell

Finn

Marketplace