We will make materials and products from ownerless marine plastic

Furniture manufacturers Ope and Vestre are joining with SINTEF in research and development of materials and products from ownerless marine plastic waste.

Through the project “From Beach to Boardroom”, funded by the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund, Ope and Vestre are seeking to set up an industrial value chain for marine plastic waste. The Research Council of Norway has now decided to support a project in which SINTEF will carry out research on material from this value chain. The enterprises will develop products and services for a circular business model, using marine plastic waste as the raw material. The objective is to ensure that plastic cleared from coastlines never goes astray or ends as pollution again.

- One of Ope’s major objectives is to restore damaged natural areas through our core activities. Now we have an opportunity to develop products from waste removed from natural areas, and that is fantastic, says the founder and CEO, Lars Urheim.

The furniture manufacturers will not keep the knowledge they gain from the project to themselves. - It is important to us that the content and methods of building a closed cycle of materials and products should be made available to others. We want as many as possible in the production sector and users of products to be able to help remove plastic from the countryside, and ensure that it never ends up there again, says Mr Urheim.

- In the light of the recently concluded climate conference in Madrid, one thing has become crystal clear: industry must take responsibility where politicians are afraid, and do not dare take action. It may seem like a heavy obligation for many companies, but the fact is that besides the obligation there are also business opportunities on a large scale, says Jan Christian Vestre in connection with the award.

Read more about who has received support from the Research Council here