We produced this report for the Norwegian Environment Agency alongside Norwegian consultancy Mepex.

The report gives an overview of the value chain for bio-based and biodegradable plastics on a global and national scale.

Our team identified the challenges that biodegradable plastic products cause in the Norwegian waste handling system, including:

  • Contamination and loss of quality when mixed with fossil fuel-based plastics for recycling;
  • The lack of infrastructure available to process compostable material;
  • Biodegradable plastic residue causing mechanical difficulties for equipment;
  • The current sorting process removes all plastic-looking items from the food waste stream.

The report covers a wide range of different bio-based and biodegradable materials, maps the process routes throughout the value chain, and identifies global markets as well as the impact on the Norwegian market itself. It also conducts a thorough assessment on Norway’s waste management systems and how these are affected by bio-based and biodegradable plastics.

This report is available free of charge. Please provide a few details about yourself and one of the team will email you the full report shortly.