- This is urgent! It is extremely important that we as a society develop and use new technology to sustainably produce and recycle all types of plastics, says project manager Gustav Vaaje-Kolstad, NMBU professor.
Plastic is a very durable and useful material that is found in most of the things we surround ourselves with every day. Unfortunately, huge amounts of plastic waste end up in nature and pose a serious threat to the environment.
Now there is a whole new collaboration on the horizon to find new solutions to the plastic problem. With the millionth support of the Research Council of Norway, actors from industry, academia, research institutes, packaging manufacturers and environmental foundations will collaborate in an interdisciplinary collaboration to develop and develop solutions to the plastics problem.
The goal is to develop new technological solutions for the recycling of plastics. This technology has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, make better use of resources and provide future opportunities for Norwegian industry.
Learn from bacteria and insects
- We'll just learn from nature. Most of the plastic we use today is actually biodegradable. However, it takes a long time and only a few organisms have developed the ability to break down plastic. For example, there are both bacteria and insects that can eat and digest plastics. They do this with the help of special enzymes. We're going to copy these enzymes in the lab. Later, we would like to use them to break down the plastic waste into its smallest parts. These parts can be cleaned and then turned back into new plastic, says project manager Gustav Vaaje-Kolstad, professor at NMBU - Norwegian University of Environmental and Life Sciences.
- We will build on NMBU's leading enzyme competence. Earlier work has already given us some completely unique enzyme candidates. What sets this project apart is that we will develop new types of plastic and new enzymes that act on these types of plastic. By adapting both plastic to enzymes and enzymes to plastic, we hope to make great progress, says Vaaje-Kolstad.
We will find solutions together.
NMBU's partners in the project are Environmental Foundation Bellona, the Norner technology and expert center for plastics, the textile manufacturer Aclima and the Packaging Association.
"It's great that the interaction between our top enzyme researchers and entities we've never worked with before is now opening up new avenues for solving important social issues," says Finn-Arne Weltzien, NMBU Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation.
- As a researcher, I find it exciting to work with various social actors. This is a good way to develop and introduce new technologies. Innovative technologies can be used to solve one of the biggest environmental problems of our time, says Vaaje-Kolstad.
– Norner, as specialists in the field of plastics and polymers, will contribute to development of plastics, production technologies, properties and applications and recycling based on our unique pilot lines, laboratories and expert knowledge. The project is exciting and has a well-assembled project group, says Kim Hed, head of research and development at Norner Research.
Innovations for use in society and industry
As part of the project, the Bellona Environmental Foundation will conduct work consisting in conducting analyzes of sustainable development and possible barriers to implementation. All this to ensure that the new technology is both economically and environmentally suitable for use. Another important task of the project is to spread knowledge about the plastic challenge and how to solve it.
- NMBU has a unique competence that can be an important tool in reducing the climate footprint and plastic waste. At the same time, the project has exciting potential to develop long-term opportunities for Norwegian industry. We are looking forward to contributing to the collaboration so that technology and knowledge have the greatest impact on society, says Bio Bellona program director Joakim Hauge.
New solutions for the textile industry
- The textile industry is unfortunately one of the biggest environmental offenders regardless of the industry. As a textile manufacturer, we are responsible for finding new and better solutions than today. In particular, we are contributing to the fight against the plastic problem. Although we use as much wool as possible in our products, we do not avoid synthetic fibers. It is exciting for us to contribute our knowledge on a topic that is so important today, says Ole Magnus Halvorsen, Marketing Manager at Aclima AS.
Plastic packaging will be greener
- Emballasjeforeningen is an interest organization for packaging producers and suppliers, packaging users, retail and other related stakeholders. The Circular Packaging Cluster cluster project organizes an almost full value chain which aims to make packaging more sustainable and circular. Much of this work concerns plastics, and in particular plastic packaging that comes into contact with food.
A new valuable and exciting collaboration
We look forward to exciting cooperation. We hope it will become a springboard for innovation and development - not only in the field of plastic packaging, says Jørgen Ingeberg, project manager of the Circular Packaging Cluster at the Packaging Association.
Photo: Naja Bertolt Jensen / Unsplash
Source: Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)
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