I Norge kaster vi 540 000 tonn plast i året – langt mer skal det bli

• There are likely over 3.1 million tonnes of plastic in use in Norway today
• Approximately 540,000 tonnes are discarded each year
• Only ¼ (132,000 tonnes) of the total plastic consumption is recycled into new materials
• Considerable uncertainty remains regarding the quantities of plastic and material flow

-In Norway, we have a major focus on single-use plastic. But we have lots of plastic in our homes, in wardrobes and kitchen cabinets, in buildings, cars, and boats. Additionally, we have plastic in fisheries and agriculture. We need to design recycling systems for the enormous amount of plastic waste that will come when products with longer lifespans are phased out. So far, no one has had a full overview, notes Nesheim.

The Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund works to acquire knowledge and find solutions to remove plastic from nature and increase plastic recycling. They have asked Mepex to compile the very first overview we have of plastic in Norway and to look at the need for better reporting and monitoring of plastic in society.

Most plastic in buildings and vehicles

According to Mepex's analyses, most of the plastic in waste is packaging. But packaging is only part of the total plastic consumption. There are large amounts of plastic in buildings, cars, tires, leisure boats, textiles, and products that are not yet in use. Unlike packaging, there is no good overview of these quantities or types of plastic. As a result, there is no overview of what to expect in the waste system when these plastic products are no longer in use.

- There is no systematic recording of how much plastic is produced, imported, and sold in Norway each year. Plastic is used in all areas of society, and there is limited knowledge about types of plastic and what it contains, and what happens when it becomes waste or litter. There is a need for better systems to register all plastic consumption and to establish good waste and litter statistics, says Frode Syversen, CEO of Mepex.

Only targets for packaging

The EU has set a target of 50% material recycling for all plastic packaging by 2025, and 55% by 2030, but lacks quantified targets for other plastics, and for plastic overall. In a circular economy, the goal is for as much as possible to be turned into new products. In Norway today, around 30% of plastic packaging is recycled. When considering all plastic waste together, the rate of material recycling is below 25%, according to estimates.

- Plastic is one of the greatest challenges of our time. It can be solved. But it is urgent to establish a good overview of the extent and sources. Naturally, we must have ambitious goals and stronger measures, but we do not have time to shoot in the dark. This report uncovers more uncertainties than it provides answers, but it is an important first step toward a better understanding of the problems we have today – and those we will face when even more plastic becomes waste in the future, concludes Nesheim.