Binmen recover €1m lottery ticket from rubbish in Italy

A €1m lottery ticket has been recovered from the rubbish in Italy after the frantic winner called on refuse collectors to help her retrieve it, according to the waste management company, the Guardian reported. The player only realised she had binned the life-changing ticket after family members told her the numbers she had played for years had been drawn, the BBC reported.

The incident, which took place in northern Italy, has drawn international attention as a reminder of the stakes involved in Italy's lottery system, a significant source of state revenue. The waste management company confirmed the ticket was located and returned to the winner, though neither the Guardian nor the BBC named the exact location or the company involved.

The recovery required coordination between the winner and the refuse collectors, who had to trace the ticket through the waste stream before it was collected and processed. The BBC noted the player had played the same numbers for years, a common practice among Italian lottery participants who favour fixed combinations.