ACR+

This report for the Norwegian Environment Agency maps 19 single-use plastics in Norway to understand the impacts of a move to alternative materials or reusable options with the aim of reducing littering.

The research, which also included an analysis of the costs and environmental impacts of switching to alternative materials, was carried out in partnership with Mepex.

The analysis is based on the consumption of single-use plastic, as well as the amount of waste generated, in Norway in 2018. The research was carried out in relation to two scenarios:

• A complete transition to single-use non-plastic products; and,
• A complete transition to multi-use items.

Our plastics experts carried out this research using the same methodology we developed for the European Commission in our study ‘Plastics: Reuse, recycling and marine litter – Impact assessment of measures to reduce litter from single-use plastics‘.

The research presents the impact of a complete switch away from single-use plastic, establishing the environmental, economic and social impacts of measures that may be used to encourage the transition. The analysis also addresses the issue of mismanagement of single-use plastics, resulting in marine plastic pollution on beaches and in bodies of water.