Because the waste contained potentially dangerous materials, the search was carried out at a specialist facility where workers recovered the ticket along with other discarded stubs.

A winning €1 million lottery ticket was recovered from a garbage truck bin in Italy after the winner, who hadn’t realized her win, contacted the local refuse collectors for help.

SANB traced the ticket’s journey, located the correct truck, and conducted a painstaking search for over a day to retrieve the ticket stub and the ticket in good condition.

Sanb described the incident as miraculous, noting an extraordinary sequence of misinterpretation, haste, and luck that led to a life-changing win.

Before the search began, the winner signed an agreement to cover any additional costs of the retrieval operation.

SANB’s CEO Roberto Nicola Toscano called the recovery miraculous and emphasized that waste can be a resource, reflecting the public reaction across Italy.

Toscano led the operation, retracing the waste’s path from collection to disposal in a high-stakes retrieval effort.

The incident is framed in a broader context by comparing it to other rare luck stories to illustrate how improbable recoveries can be.

Reports cite Ansa and AFP, with background from dpa and The Guardian.

The episode highlights how an administrative misunderstanding can trigger a costly recovery and deliver a life-changing windfall for the winner.

Toscano added a light-hearted note about the team’s effort, including a coffee and a playful lotto-related moment, while stressing the practical payoff went to the winner.

To minimize risk from hazardous materials, the recovery moved the truck to a waste-specialist facility for safe processing.