Plastic, and plastic pollution, are a huge problem for both human health and the environment. An interdisciplinary panel of experts suggests that politicians take three concrete steps to better understand and rein in this growing problem.
Here’s how Norway can limit the loss of an all-important substance, phosphorus.
Norway’s coastline is littered with plastics from around the world. Plastic pollution is a global problem, but Norway can be a role model in putting an end to it.
Researchers have found more than 16,000 different chemicals in plastics. A new report shows that about a quarter of these chemicals can be hazardous to health and the environment.
For the first time, researchers have investigated how ropes and fishing lines are handled by the Norwegian commercial fishing industry. The fishing fleet loses almost 400 tonnes of rope in Norwegian waters every year.
Norway’s law on mining seabed minerals is too unclear, the knowledge base too flimsy, and the Storting’s White Paper on seabed mining does not hold water.
New lubricants, combined with new knowledge about how they should be applied to train wheels and rails, have the potential to reduce rail sector costs in Norway by hundreds of millions of kroner during the next decade.
Road pricing may soon be replacing toll charges on Norwegian roads. But researchers still don’t know if this will help to reduce and regulate road traffic.
Recent research indicates that the best environmental solution is in fact to install less insulation in our homes and consume more electricity for heating. But first, some preconditions have to be met.
Groundbreaking projects funded by Norway demonstrate that foreign aid can help to combat both poverty and environmental problems. One result is that uncontrolled plastic waste may become a resource for the cement industry.
Researchers at NTNU have found a way to make gold nanoparticles with a uniform size and shape, opening up the possibility of finding more effective photocatalysts
The magnets in wind turbines come from China, and the materials in our electric car batteries are for the most part sourced from Congo. Today, key minerals and metals are being transported to Europe from politically unstable countries far away. Is it possible to safeguard access to these raw materials here in Norway? In this article, we present three research-based strategies for addressing the problem.
Plastic is useful but also poses an environmental problem. Scientists are now using enzymes from bacteria and fungi to break down plastic.
Norwegian greenhouse gas emissions from air traffic are more than twice as high as the worldwide average.
Waste slags from the metallurgy industries often contain valuable materials, but in very small concentrations. This means that large areas of valuable land are used to accommodate reservoirs filled with what is sometimes toxic waste. We now want to use hydrogen to convert this waste into a resource.
It is difficult to recycle artificial turf and there are no obvious deposit-return systems for these plastics on the market. But researchers are now looking to find a solution to the problem.
Using non-recyclable plastic waste as an alternative to coal may prevent huge volumes of plastic from being discarded into the oceans – and will also reduce CO2 emissions. This is the conclusion of a recently completed pilot project headed by SINTEF in Vietnam.
High energy prices highlight the importance of the thousands of kilometres of insulated pipe networks and equipment in industrial plants. However, corrosion under the pipes’ insulation is hard to detect and can have severe consequences. New surveillance technology being developed by SINTEF can help combat this looming threat.
More than 600 fishing vessels sail the icy waters of the Arctic. But just over two dozen big tankers are the worst offenders when it comes to air pollution in this vulnerable region.
Capping production of new plastics will help cut their release to the environment — and brings other benefits, from boosting the value of plastics to helping tackle climate change.
Little research has been done on how nano- and microplastics affect children. Researchers are surveying what we actually know and offer some useful tips to parents.
Dye pigments are often toxic, so researchers around the world have long been looking for effective ways to make non-toxic, recyclable and sustainable colours instead. The answer lies in nanotechnology and nature’s own methods.
Plastic consumer products contain chemicals that may promote the development of overweight and obesity.
Mausund and the Froan Nature Reserve are located in an archipelago far out to sea along the Trøndelag county coast, but they are not exactly pristine. About 25 per cent of the soil in the area contains plastic.
