Norway's new plastics strategy shows what we must do to prevent, sort out and put a stop to one of the most serious environmental problems of our time, for both the sea and us.
The way to do something about reducing the climate and environmental consequences of plastic waste globally, regionally and nationally is extensive, and effective measures need to be urgently implemented. Norway's plastics strategy has an approach that deals with the entire life cycle of a plastic product, such as product frameworks for plastics, measures to reduce consumption, plastic waste from sea-based sources and waste management.
Among other things, the prevention of marine plastic waste needs better solutions, both on land and at sea.
The Centre's role in the plastics strategy
The Centre is one of the actors nationally that will contribute to coordinated and knowledge-based work to prevent and clean up the environmental problems caused by plastic.
- It is a task we will undertake in a committed and coordinated way with skilled actors who are working to solve the problem nationally, regionally and internationally, says director Ann-Helen Ernstsen at the Centre.
From 2022, the Norwegian Centre for Oil Spill Preparedness and Marine Environment will be a purely national centre for marine litter and be an overall coordinator for the authorities for the cleaning-up of marine plastics and a facilitator at the national level for clean-up work in Norway. These are the tasks the plastics strategy presents:
- work on the prevention of plastics from sea-based sources and the facilitation of cooperation and coordinated efforts
- coordinate the clean-up nationally
- further develop Clean-up and Clean Sea for cleaning-up and collecting data