Marine Litter
Marine litter is widespread and poses a threat to wildlife in and around the sea, and may also pose a risk to human health. Marine litter has recently gained significant attention and there is now a consensus for action. However, that requires more knowledge and a thorough understanding of this increasing global problem.
SALT maps quantities and transport of marine litter, and we identify sources and causes to litter ending up in nature. The knowledge we build is then transfered into concrete preventative measures or communicated to decisionmakers. We want to contribute to an efficient and knowledge-based monitoring of marine litter, and to be able to track changes over time. SALT also plays an important role in the development of new value chains for marine litter or plastic waste from maritime industries. Last, but not least, SALT is a key player in organising profsessional beach clean-ups in Norway.
Projects
Publications
News
That marine litter harms nature and wildlife is well known. Now, SALT has documented that litter in the ocean around Svalbard is also affecting the wild reindeer on land. Through the national cleanup program Rydd i tide, SALT has coordinated the removal of waste along Svalbard’s coastline, commissioned by the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund (Handelens Miljøfond). The cleanup has revealed that many wild reindeer become entangled in fishing nets and die as a result of marine litter. On average, one dead reindeer was found for every 3.5 kilometers of coastline.
Read more about the findings our researchers have made in this article at
NRK. (Norwegian text only)
It is now becoming easier for schools and kindergartens to teach children and young people about marine litter. The Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund (Handelens Miljøfond) has launched the website Lær i Tide, which gathers quality-assured educational resources on the topic in one place. The website was developed by SALT on behalf of the Reitailers Environment Fund and financed through the plastic bag levy. The goal is to engage children and young people in the fight against plastic pollution and in the preservation of the marine environment. The website offers freely accessible online resources with hundreds of lesson plans tailored for all ages, from kindergarten to upper secondary school.