We produced this report for the Norwegian Environment Agency alongside Norwegian consultancy Mepex.
The report gives an overview of the value chain for bio-based and biodegradable plastics on a global and national scale.
Our team identified the challenges that biodegradable plastic products cause in the Norwegian waste handling system, including:
- Contamination and loss of quality when mixed with fossil fuel-based plastics for recycling;
- The lack of infrastructure available to process compostable material;
- Biodegradable plastic residue causing mechanical difficulties for equipment;
- The current sorting process removes all plastic-looking items from the food waste stream.
The report covers a wide range of different bio-based and biodegradable materials, maps the process routes throughout the value chain, and identifies global markets as well as the impact on the Norwegian market itself. It also conducts a thorough assessment on Norway’s waste management systems and how these are affected by bio-based and biodegradable plastics.
