About the project

Estimates suggests that 8 million tons of plastic wind up in the oceans annually, constituting a dire threat to marine and aquatic eco-systems, and followingly to human prosperity and development. There are thus an urgent need for solutions to prevent fruther marine plastic pollution, both nationally and globally.

In this interdisciplinary research project, researchers at NTNU will collaborate and integrate transdisciplinary knowledge to drive the transformation towards plastic-free Norwegian waters. Using a systems engineering approach, the project aims to find the preventive, curative, and innovative strategies to plastic waste within the overarching framework of Circular Economic and UN’s decade of ocean science for sustainable development.

The transformation will be driven through a multi-stakeholder and interdisciplinary approach, where the science of machine learning, artificial intelligence, laboratory analysis, behavioral change, supply chain management and business model research will be integrated with the active involvement of local and regional actors. The Department of International Business (IIF) at NTNU Ålesund, will host the project, yet involved researchers will be from four different faculties (ØK, IV, IE and SU) and seven departments (IIF, IHB, IIR, IØT, PSY, IDI and IGE) and four main project goals are identified:

(1) Generating scientific evidence on characterization, quantification, occurrence, and threatening potential of macro and microplastic polymers across Norwegian waters. (2) Developing policy-oriented strategies for preventing, minimizing the leakages of plastics across the system life cycle of products. (3) Drive inclusive innovation towards sustainable and circular business models within the region, to ensure sustainable management of plastic resources. (4) Application of behavioral and geographical knowledge to coin interventions for enabling transformation in the production and consumption of plastics in Norway.