This sight met researchers in many rivers – NRK Vestland

Researchers have investigated 200 kilometers of riverbed in 43 rivers in western Norway. They found plastic almost everywhere in the world.

Plastic from agriculture was three times more than all other plastics combined.

– Typically, there is a lot in agricultural rivers. As it may well be a stretch of river that runs through a forest with almost no plastic, it is a lot when the river reaches an area where there is agriculture.

This is what project leader Gaute Velle en Norce says at the Norwegian Research Center (NORCE).

– The results show that some farmers should have better routines to handle plastic, for example, not leaving traces of aluminum foil outside, where it is exposed to the elements and wind, says Velle.

I want an equal order

When farmers buy agricultural plastic, a sum is added to cover the free delivery of the plastic to the renderer.

But the leader of the Vestland Farmers Association, Anders Felde, believes the harvesting scheme was much better before it is today.

– Only two or three years ago we had rounds where the transporter would come and collect the plastic in the town once or twice a year. We no longer have that solution, says Felde.

Now they are challenging Green Dot Norway and others who have a responsibility to care for this plastic.

– It can be terribly far from the garden to the reception, says Felde.

He and other farmers believe there should be an equitable arrangement no matter where there is a cage in the country, precisely to prevent plastic from staying on farms.

Price debts

The green dot says that the supplement is the same as before, but that it is the price of used agricultural plastic that has dropped, says communications manager Kari-Lill Ljøstad.

– Prices have dropped. This means that many renovators cannot afford to collect plastic because they don’t get enough when they sell it.

She believes that farmers are generally good at sorting and making sure agricultural plastic doesn’t end up in the wild.

– Many of the sins we see now may be ancient sins, he says.

Ask farmers to take responsibility

Agriculture and Food Minister Olaug Bollestad (KrF) assigns responsibility to the individual farmer.

– It is very unfortunate that plastic is found in agriculture in rivers. It is up to each individual farmer to ensure that plastic and other garbage is not lost, he says.

Add:

– I would encourage all farms to be in control of agricultural plastic until it is delivered to an approved recycling station.

Researcher Gaute Velle is also clear on what he means.

– There are few reasons why the round ball sheet should make nature dirty, or that this cannot be prevented.