In the news

In this TV clip on the morning news on Swedish TV4, Professor Sara Ilstedt and experiment participant Emelie Hesse are interviewed about the Plastic Detox (Plastbantarna) project as part of the REDUCE project. About becoming aware of being surrounded by plastic items in such an overwhelming way, about what was easily replaced and what could not be replaced. And most of all about all the things that vanished and are in fact not missed.

Despite mounting concern about excessive plastic consumption, global industry continues to flood the market with plastic products. At the same time, consumers are urged to swap plastic spatulas for wooden ones and plastic bottles for steel. Responsibility is thus shifted onto individuals rather than the systems that drive production.

Listen to REDUCE researcher Harald Throne-Holst responding to breaking news as Norway tops new statistics showing levels of plastic consumption per capita across the world (in Norwegian).

It discusses Norway’s national plastic strategy and questions how well it is being implemented in practice. A central focus is the role of municipalities, which both manage waste systems and are themselves significant users of plastic. A study from the REDUCE project (OsloMet and Naturvernforbundet) shows that Norwegian municipalities vary widely in how they address plastic pollution: most focus on littering and cleanup, while fewer take broader steps to reduce plastic use at the source.