Største tildelingen i fondets historie

The major allocation is expected, among other things, to help increase the use of recycled plastic in Norway by nearly 10,000 tons over the next year.

- Too little has been done to stop the major environmental problems caused by plastic. With this allocation, we will get the ball rolling. We will kick-start a market for recycled plastic that begins to grow on its own, so that we use less and less new plastic and more and more recycled plastic, establishing a much more sustainable norm for how we use plastic, says Rasmus Hansson, CEO of the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund.

Here are the awarded environmental projects

This autumn, the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund announced over NOK 100 million for initiatives that reduce the environmental problems of plastic. The fund received over 500 applications. The applications were first assessed by the administration of the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund, then by an independent, external advisory board. The final decision on allocation was made by the board of the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund. In total, the allocation amounts to NOK 105 million distributed across 123 environmental projects. The allocation is divided into six different categories, and the projects receiving funding cover a broad range of environmental areas and geography.

Increased Use of Recycled Plastics

With this grant, the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund aims to accelerate projects that contribute to increasing the use of recycled plastics in Norway. Today, far too little recycled plastic is used, mainly due to challenges with quality, stable supply, and price. The projects now receiving support are expected to contribute to increasing the use of recycled plastics by nearly 10,000 tons over the next year.

Reducing Plastic Consumption

15 projects have now received funding to reduce the use of short-lived plastics and create new circular value chains for plastic products. The allocation is expected to contribute, among other things, to reducing plastic consumption by over 4,000 tons annually in the Norwegian and American military, and to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic gloves by 70% in the Horeca industry.

Better Plastic Management Internationally

With this grant, the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund aims to improve plastic management efforts in countries facing significant plastic issues. The grant will contribute, among other things, to reducing microplastic emissions from the textile industry in China, the country with the highest textile production in the world, and collect, manage, and recycle at least 120 tons of plastic annually in two of the world's least developed countries, Mali and Uganda in Africa.

Knowledge about Plastics and the Environment

Today, there are significant knowledge gaps related to the environmental problems of plastics, and the fund aims with this allocation to initiate important knowledge projects that help to cover these. Among other things, the fund will contribute to uncovering the environmental effects of pollution - for example, how plastic litter impacts plant life, greenhouse gas production in soil, and the effect of microplastics on the environment and wildlife.

Volunteer Cleanup and Preventive Measures

With this grant, the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund aims to contribute to cleaning up plastic that has gone astray and to initiate preventive measures that prevent plastic from continuing to go astray. The grant will particularly help support the important work that volunteers do in this area.

Technology for a Cleaner Ocean

Today, there is a significant problem with fishing gear that is lost and lying on the seabed, killing large amounts of marine life. It is also in the ocean that all misplaced plastic eventually ends up. The Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund aims with this grant to prevent the loss of fishing gear and contribute to more efficient cleanup of rivers, harbors, and seabeds through innovation and technological solutions. The environmental projects now receiving support will, among other things, seek and locate lost fishing gear using underwater drones, and develop an industrial solution for collecting plastic from stormwater pipes.

New Calls for Applications in 2021

The fund's next major call for applications will take place in the fall. Throughout the year, the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund will conduct several calls for applications in various counties related to the extensive cleanup program Rydd Norge, which the fund owns and leads.

- We ask cleanup operators to be vigilant for when we announce funds for cleaning Norway's coastlines and waterways, and we are already looking forward to the next major call for applications in the fall. Follow us on our social media and website for updates, concludes Hansson.