Rydd Norge-programmet forlenges

– This work makes a difference! Therefore, it is also worth investing significant resources in the cleanup effort. If we manage to clean up the macro plastic before it disappears into the sea, we can prevent it from having severe consequences for nature and wildlife, and from breaking down into microplastics for which we currently lack effective removal methods, says Cecilie Lind, CEO of the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund.

The Cleanup Norway program is Norway's first cleanup program and the world's largest professional cleanup action. Through the program, initiated and funded by the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund, 25,000 km of coastline have been cleaned. The funds come from plastic bags purchased by Norwegian consumers from member retailers of the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund.

Salt Lofoten is now the program manager for Cleanup Norway, and advisor Snorre Sklet talks about high activity going forward:

– The goal we are working towards is to have 55 percent of Norway's outer coastline cleaned by 2025. That means an exact 1,724 new kilometers.

Professional Cleanup

In the Cleanup Norway program, the approach is structured, Sklet continues:
– Never before have professional cleanup operators cleaned systematically from coast to coast. We are cleaning areas that are difficult to access, nature that has never been cleaned before, and areas with vulnerable nature and wildlife.

Additionally, Cleanup Norway will now maintain areas that have already been cleaned.
– In the maintenance cleanup, the professional cleanup operators will themselves select areas they have previously cleaned, Sklet explains. We focus on vulnerable areas or areas with particularly high amounts of litter. These will be cleaned one or more times a year, he adds further.

Data Collection

The continuation of the program will also be expanded with a monitoring program for marine litter. Marte Haave, a senior researcher at Salt Lofoten, has contributed to the development of the program.

– This will be very interesting, says Haave. With the monitoring program, we will have coordinated and structured data collection from across the country. This allows us to monitor whether the amount of marine litter is changing. Another goal is to look at key sources and preventive measures, she concludes.

Program manager Snorre Sklet states that Cleanup Norway and the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund want to gather more knowledge about littering along the coast, regarding amounts and sources.

– It can provide us with better knowledge on where cleanup should be prioritized in the future, as well as give us insights to implement preventive measures, he says.

Contact Information:

Snorre Sklet, Salt Lofoten AS
Program Manager for Cleanup Norway
Phone: 482 84 618
Email: snorre@salt.nu