The Norwegian government has been reducing the yearly budget for supporting volunteer beach cleaning every year since 2018, although new science proves that the negative impact of plastic pollution is worse than we ever imagined and plastic pollution continues to pile up on our beachline.
2015: 15 mill NOK
2016: 15 mill NOK
2017: 35 mill NOK
2018: 80 mill NOK
2019: 70 mill NOK
2020: 70 mill NOK
2021: 60 mill NOK
2022: 53 mill NOK
2023: 35 mill NOK
2024: 27 mill NOK
12 NOK is 1 Euro
We want to challenge politicians and the government about why funding is reduced and why solving the plastic pollution problem is left solely to private actors, NGOs, and non-profits.
In this chronicle from Keep Norway Beautiful and several other organizations the same question is raised, and they also relate it to the context that Norway is built on the resources of the sea.
Norway has the second longest coast in the world, with more than 100 000 kilometers of beachine, counting all islands and fjords, and our economy and wealth are based on this coastline and its natural resources.
We expect the Norwegian government to change its negligence, be responsible, and take the lead in actions to prevent marine litter and clean up old sins.
In The Same Boat helping out transporting old fridges to the recycling station, to make sure they don’t end up at sea.
A part of being responsible is ensuring every Norwegian citizen and company has good alternatives for renovation services and recycling. Today, thousands of Norwegians live where they have no service, and they are left to handle their trash as they want, with no consequence doing illegal dumping or making big trash fireplaces at the beachline. This is one of the primary sources of the ongoing plastic pollution along the Norwegian coastline.
We will continue to do what we can, but with the support from our government, we could be even stronger.