Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management, 103, Gamle Fysikk, Sem Sælands vei 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management, 103, Gamle Fysikk, Sem Sælands vei 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway; SINTEF Community, Høgskoleringen 7B, 7034 Trondheim, Norway.
Sci Total Environ. 2020 Jun 1;719:137353. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137353. Epub 2020 Feb 22.
Plastic, and its pollution of marine ecosystems, has emerged as a global concern. Among the several other sources, plastics from abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gears (ALDFG), and ropes are considered the most dangerous for marine wildlife. In EU states, the management ALDFG is prioritized through a dedicated action plan owing to the hazardous nature of ALDFG and the increase in commercial fishing activity in EU waters. The action plan demands to close the loop of plastics from fishing to ensure sustainable resource management using strategies of the circular economy (CE). Commercial fishing is a crucial sector in Norway, generating 4000 tons of waste plastic annually from fishing gears and ropes. While recycling, landfilling, and incineration are the standard end-of-life management options, the recycling industry in the region is immature. The lack of recycling capacity and inadequate infrastructure results in exporting most of the recyclable fraction out of Norway for further processing. Although within the framework of CE, the transboundary export of waste for recycling misses the opportunity to create value out of waste within the region. Therefore, in the pursuit of CE strategies, it is essential to ensure regional sustainability. In this study, we assess the environmental, economic, and social impacts of landfilling, incinerating, and recycling of waste fishing gears in Norway. To represent the current state, we include two existing recycling scenarios for the assessment, namely, recycling (inland) and recycling (export). Based on qualitative and quantitative data from relevant stakeholders, we adapted multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to rank the end-of-life (EOL) alternatives through their ability to sustainably manage 4000 tons of waste plastics from fishing gears in Norway. The ranking and insights from stakeholder interaction were used to ascertain potential barriers in realizing principles of CE and to further recognize opportunities for establishing circular business models in the region.
塑料及其对海洋生态系统的污染已成为全球关注的焦点。在其他几个来源中，废弃、丢失或丢弃的渔具（ALDFG）和绳索中的塑料被认为对海洋野生动物最危险。在欧盟国家，由于 ALDFG 的危险性质以及欧盟水域商业捕鱼活动的增加，通过专门的行动计划优先管理 ALDFG。该行动计划要求从渔业中关闭塑料循环，以确保使用循环经济（CE）战略进行可持续资源管理。商业捕鱼是挪威的一个重要部门，每年从渔具和绳索中产生 4000 吨废塑料。虽然回收、填埋和焚烧是标准的寿命终结管理选择，但该地区的回收行业尚未成熟。缺乏回收能力和基础设施不足导致该地区大部分可回收部分出口到挪威以外进行进一步加工。尽管在 CE 框架内，废物的越境出口进行回收错过了在该地区从废物中创造价值的机会。因此，在追求 CE 战略时，必须确保区域可持续性。在这项研究中，我们评估了在挪威填埋、焚烧和回收废弃渔具的环境、经济和社会影响。为了代表当前的情况，我们为评估包括两种现有的回收方案，即（内陆）回收和（出口）回收。根据相关利益相关者的定性和定量数据，我们采用多标准决策分析（MCDA）来通过其可持续管理挪威 4000 吨渔具废物的能力对寿命终结（EOL）替代方案进行排名。排名和利益相关者互动的见解用于确定在实现 CE 原则方面的潜在障碍，并进一步认识到在该地区建立循环商业模式的机会。
