New Strategy for Management of Plastic Waste Launched

The Norwegian government wants to increase the recycling of plastic waste, stop plastic waste from ending up in nature, and promote more sustainable use of plastic products.

The new strategy, launched on August 10, is highly relevant to Norway’s cooperation with India on marine litter, waste recycling and circular economy.

- Plastic waste is one of our time’s most serious environmental problems. It is a threat to life in the oceans and on land. We have to become smarter in the way we use and manage plastics, and stop plastic waste from ending up in nature, says Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

In addition to recycling more plastic products at home, Norway has since 2014 worked towards a better international framework against plastic pollution – especially in the ocean. More and more countries are now coming together to suggest a new global agreement on plastic pollution.

- We need a global agreement where all countries commit to implementing a national plan to stop plastic pollution that ends up in the ocean. The Government’s plastic strategy is an example of how such national plans can be designed, says Minister for Climate and Environment, Sveinung Rotevatn.

In 2018, Norway launched a programme for international cooperation against marine pollution and microplastics. Since 2023, the Government has committed 1.6 billion NOK to the programme. Norway’s cooperation with India on marine pollution, including waste recycling and studying sources of pollution, is financed under this initiative.   

The strategy is available in Norwegian here: https://www.regjeringen.no/contentassets/ccb7238072134e74a23c9eb3d2f4908a/nn-no/pdfs/noregs-plaststrategi.pdf