A lottery ticket worth €1 million was recovered from a large pile of rubbish in the southern Italian region of Puglia after the owner mistakenly discarded it, a waste disposal company head said. The incident unfolded in the town of Bitonto, where the ticket holder, who remains anonymous, only realised their error after learning their numbers had won a top prize.

According to Roberto Toscano, head of the publicly controlled waste company involved, the ticket was thrown away after it was labelled “non-payable,” a designation used for highest winning sums paid directly by the lottery rather than retailers. The winner misunderstood the message and assumed the ticket was worthless.

By the time the owner returned to the shop to claim the prize, the rubbish containing the ticket had already been collected. Toscano was alerted to the situation early Sunday morning and immediately tasked his team with locating the ticket, despite initial doubts about the feasibility of the search amid six tonnes of garbage.

The waste had not yet been moved to landfill, allowing the company to identify the compactor likely containing the ticket and isolate it under close supervision. The search took place Tuesday morning as workers carefully spread out the contents without piling it up, using overalls without pockets and a continuously recording camera to monitor the process.

Toscano described the atmosphere as joyful when the ticket was found, noting the relief and happiness shared among his staff. The lottery winner contacted him emotionally after the recovery, expressing gratitude in tears.

The expenses for the operation, estimated to be in the tens of thousands of euros, will be covered by the ticket holder. Following the recovery, Toscano marked the occasion by purchasing his first-ever lottery ticket, which unexpectedly won €50. He donated the winnings to his workers.

The successful retrieval highlights the commitment of the publicly managed waste company to their community and the lengths taken to assist residents, even in extraordinary circumstances.