Articles in English

For over 20 years, producers of beer and soft drinks have been financially liable for ensuring the bottles and cans containing them do not end up as litter or household waste.

All empty plastic bottles collected in Norway will be melted down at the new recycling plant in Heia in Fetsund. That means shift work and round-the-clock activity.

An analysis of the litter found during 50 clean-up operations along the entire Norwegian coast shows that plastics make up the bulk of the debris washed ashore. Most of it comes from Norway, but the majority of plastic bottles are from abroad.

“It’s not that I love plastic. I love smart solutions, and plastic is often the smartest solution – including for the climate and the environment.” Thor Kamfjord, Director of Sustainable Development at Norner, is happy to talk up plastic in an environmental context, and he does not shy away from pointing the finger at consumers, politicians and industry.

The EU has introduced rules on the collection, recycling and use of recycled materials. “We are glad that Norway has a deposit return scheme. Many people in European countries without such schemes worry about how they will be able to meet the EU criteria,” says consultant Joakim Sandvik Gulliksen at Friends of the Earth Norway.

“Infinitum’s refundable deposit scheme is far ahead of the field. In South Korea, we need such an advanced system, which is why we are visiting Infinitum to learn how the Norwegian system works,” says Chang Deok Won, director of the South Korean research institute Mirae Environment Co Ltd.