Organic waste and other residual materials from bio-industries and households are of increasing value in today’s economy. Substances that have long represented a cost to the economy are now becoming a valuable resource. Exploiting the full potential of these resources requires increased innovation, systemic change as well as better regulation and governance.
The SusValueWaste-project addresses these issues by analysing value chains inside and across different sectors of the bioeconomy. We analyse a number of industrial cases from different parts of the bioeconomy and collaborate with highly relevant industry actors. The aim of the project is to help policymakers better govern and regulate the organic waste industry and the industry actors to identify and exploit new opportunities in the circular bioeconomy.
The project is managed and coordinated by NIFU in close cooperation with research partners in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.The project has a total budget of 40 mill NOK (4,5 mill EUR) and will run from 2015-2019
SusValueWaste’s annual meeting for 2017 took place in Fredrikstad on August 29.-30, the home city of the project partner Østfoldforskning. Over the two days, where about 25 researchers from the project team and reference group participated, we discussed papers in progress, reports, new paper ideas and upcoming dissemination activities. We were also given a guided tour... Read More
Borregaard runs one of the world’s most advanced biorefineries with the focus of full utilization of renewable raw material to high value chemicals. The goal of the company is to provide sustainable solutions based on green carbon resources and specialised competence. During SusValueWaste’s annual meeting in August 2017, the project team was given a guided tour at the Borregaard plant which stretches over an area of several square... Read More
NIFU has joined Avfallsforsk, a network of members promoting research and development in the waste sector. Members are private and public actors as well as relevant research institutes. The network was initated in 2009 and is supported by The Research Council of Norway though the BIA-programme which funds industry-oriented research. Avfallsforsk also puts effort in communicating national and international... Read More
In collaboration with colleagues from academia, business and policy, SusValueWaste organised a dialogue session at the International Sustainability Transitions Conference in June 2017. The topic for dialogue was “Transition to a Sustainable Bioeconomy”. The panel participants in the SusValueWaste-session drew attention to the heterogeneity of the bioeconomy. Encompassed in this economy is various interests and sectors... Read More
Everyday, consumers are responsible for wasting fully edible food. COSUS is a reseach project with the aim of reducing consumers’ food waste. The project focuses on strategies that can encourage consumers to accept suboptimal foods before and after purchase. These suboptimal foods can for example have an expired best-before date or undesired shape or colour, but are still... Read More
The bioeconomy is predicted to be a driving force in the future Norwegian economy. Norwegian University of Life Sciences has made this animation film that gives a good introduction to the possibilities for building a strong bioeconomy in Norway. The country has an abundance of kelp, seaweed and timber and other nutritious bio-resources, that can be... Read More
