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Product Oriented Environmental Policy in Norway
Status, February 1995

General: The first products to attract the attention of the authorities were worn out cars and products that are harmful to health. Since then, measures have been introduced in connection with products that cause pollution during use, and ones that genera te large quantities of waste. These measures include hazard labelling, positive environmental labelling, refund systems, taxes, return arrangements and prohibitions.

The legal foundation:

• The purpose of the Product Control Act is to prevent products from causing damage to health or disturbance of the environment in the form of pollution, waste, noise or the like.

• The purpose of the Pollution Control Act is to regulate pollution to air, water and the soil from activities at a specific site.

By authority of the Pollution Control Act, for example, municipalities and commercial industrial enterprises can be required to sort waste by source.

The responsibility ot the manufacturer:

Motor vehicle tyres: A regulation prohibiting tyres from being deposited on landfills came into force on 1 January 1995. The same regulations require the tyre industry to accept, free of charge, approximately the same quantity of tyres in return as the quantity sold. Tyre manufacturers and importers have a duty to ensure that the tyres are recycled. A consumer can deliver used tyres free of charge to the retailers. The system is financed by the branch by a self imposed fee of NOK 15 per new tyre.

Lead batteries: The batteries industry is responsible for dealing with used lead batteries. A consumer may deliver the batteries to a dealer free of charge. The system is financed by a fee imposed by the branch itself, based on an agreement between the branch and the Ministry of Environment. Regulations are being prepared concerning the obligations of suppliers and manufacturers as regards acceptance, collection and recycling of lead batteries.

Milk cartons: In June 1994 an agreement was entered into between the carton manufacturers Tetra Pak and Elopak, Norske Meierier (the dairies) and the Federation of Norwegian Food and Drink Industry. This agreement states that, by the end of 1994, a system for collection and recycling of used drinks cartons shall be established. By the end of 1996, the industry shall ensure that at least 60% of all the waste drinks cartons that are generated in Norway will be collected for recycling.

White paper: An agreement has been entered into between Norsk Skogindustrier A/S and the Ministry of Environment. Accordingto this agreement, Norsk Skogindustrier A/S shall increase its de inking capacity by 100,000 tonnes in the course of 1998.

The authorities on their part will help to increase collection of white paper to minimum 150,000 tonnes in the course of 1996. If necessary, this will take place by requiring the municipalities to sort waste paper by source and deliver it for recycling. T he Ministry of Environment has helped to finance the building of a de inking plant.

Brown paper: A regulation has been laid down which requires persons in possession of waste brown paper to deliver this for recycling. The regulations make an exception for possessors who generate less than 250 kg pr year. Some areas which have a lo ng way to transport the paper are excepted. An agreement has also been entered into between the Ministry of Environment and the brown paper industry which will ensure a nationwide system for collection and recycling of brown paper. The objective is that 1 00,000 of brown paper will be collected and recycled per year by the end of 1 995.

White goods: 90% of stoves, refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, tumble dryers etc. are collected, and the material, mainly the metal, is recovered. Collection is paid for by the municipality, dealer or consumer, depending on where the consum er delivers the appliance. The Storting (Norwegian National Assembly) has also asked the Government to arrange for the establishment of a system to recover CFC from refrigerators, freezers, etc. It is assumed that this will take place without a tax/charge at the actual time of delivery. The Ministry of Environment is in the process of considering the possibility of establishing such a system.

Ozone depleting substances: The CFC Regulations require used CFC and haloes to be evacuated from existing cooling systems, and delivered. The evacuated CFC shall be delivered to an importer or supplier, to another approved reception facility or to a collector of hazardous waste for recycling or destruction. At the initiative of the refrigeration industry, a system was established in 1990 for a return and deposit system for used, regulated CFC gases from cooling systems, the so-called "Return Projec t". This is a voluntary joint project between importers/distributors of CFC and refrigeration installation companies. The system has been financed by a charge (NOK 55 per kg CFC) on sales of new CFC. This charge is reimbursed upon delivery of used CFC to the Return Project. The degree of collection has been low, however; less than 1% in relation to the total amount of CFC in existing refrigeration installations. A possible explanation of the low percentage collected is that only few cooling systems have b een modified or replaced since the project started. However, it is expected that a much larger percentage will be modified or replaced in the next few years, since cooling systems containing CFC now are to be phased out. The import of CFCto Norway has now been stopped.

Economic incentives:

Returnable deposit on bottles: The system of a returnable deposit on bottles for drinks was established a long time ago in Norway. Consumers can deliver empty bottles to the shops and receive a sum of money in return for each bottle delivered. The sum var ies between NOK 1.00 and NOK 2.50 per bottle, depending on the size. NOK 16.00 is paid for returned crates for bottles. About 99% of all empty bottles for beer and mineral water are returned.

A returnable deposit for worn out cars: The purchaser of a new car pays a fee of NOK 900. When a worn out car is delivered to an approved collection site, the sum of NOK 1,000 is paid out in return. In 1993, about 95% of all wom out cars were delivered.

Petrol/oil: A CO2 tax has been imposed on petrol and oil. This tax is not earmarked.

Drinks containers: A graded system of taxes has been established for drinks containers. This means that the tax is reduced as more containers are collected. A return percentage between 25% and 95% gives a reduction in the tax proportional to the re turn percentage. When the return percentage reaches 95% no tax is charged. The tax thus provides an incentive to establish systems of collection. The tax amounts to NOK 3.00 per unit for drinks containing alcohol and/or drinks which are carbonated. For dr inl~s not containing alcohol and/or drinks which are not carbonated the tax amounts to NOK 0,30 pr unit. In addition, a tax of NOK 0.70 per unit is charged on single use containers.

Glass: Norsk Glassgjennvinning A/S (a glass recycling company) has been established by one manufacturer and several users of glass containers. A cleaning plant has been established for glass that is to be recycled. The operation of this plant is fi nanced by a recycling charge on new glass. This is paid voluntarily by all those using glass containers. A high degree of collection implies a low charge, which makes it profitable to help to finance the collection system. The charge is also paid by those who use glass for other purposes than to contain drinks. The glass is collected in containers place at strategic sites. About 65% of the glass will be collected in 1995.

Waste oil: An earmarked tax of NOK 1.00 per litre of lubricating oil is used to subsidise the collection of waste oil. This reduces the price for delivery to a reception facility. Consumers can deliver waste oil to special recipient facilities for hazardous waste.

Prohibitions: The Product Control Act provides the authority to prohibit products. This has not been done to any extent. PCBs are now prohibited. The import of CFC, haloes and carbontetrachloride have been stopped. The use of CFC and haloes and in a short while also carbontetrachloride and 1.1.1trichloretane will be prohibited in a range of areas.

Other arrangements: Hazardous waste from consumers: Collection stations have been established at petrol stations throughout the country. Consumers can deliver hazardous waste (unused paint, solvents, waste oil etc.) at these stations free of charge. The system is paid for by the households through the municipal charge for waste collection and disposal.

Product design, content and information: The cradle to grave principle: Applying the principle of "cradle to grave" means evaluating a product on the basis of its total properties during the whole of its life cycle, from extraction as raw material until it ends up as waste. The principle also in cludes the environmental impacts associated with use of input factors, production process, transport and use at all stages.

LCA: The Nordic countries are cooperating on the development of Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) criteria in accordance with the cradle to grave principle.

The licensing system: The cradle tograve principle has been incorporated into the licensing system. At production level the company has to document the process and material flows with regard to volume, composition of materials and energy use. The S tate Pollution Control Authority can demand a technical environmental analysis of the production process. They can also demand documentation of alternative (cleaner) technologies and alternatives for energy savings.

Positive environmental labelling: Norway has established "Stiftelsen Milj0merking" (Foundation for environmental labelling) in Norway. This foundation, together with its sister organisations in the other Nordic countries, is working to develop criteria for positive environmental labelling (the swan label). As of today, criteria have been laid down for 30 product groups. 181 licences have been issued and 14 new criteria documents are either being prepared or have already been distributed for comment to the parties concerned.

Health Hazard Labelling Regulations: The regulations concerning health hazard labelling were first laid down in 1982, and have been revised in 1992 and most recently in 1993. Pursuant to these regulations, substances and preparations that are required to be labelled shall be declared to the Product Register. Chemical substances and preparations are labelled with a hazard label (symbol and text). Restrictions have been imposed on the sale of very toxic and toxic substances and preparations (may be sold only to persons over the age of 18 years who have a requisition endorsed by the police). The Health Hazard Labelling Regulations are laid down pursuant to the Product Control Act. The Product Control Act requires manufacturers to know what they put on the market. Special regulations have also been laid down, e.g. for PCBs, batteries and photographic chemicals. (KU Directives: 67t548/EEC Classification and labelling of substances, 88/379/EEC Classification and labelling of products).

The system has implied that manufacturers and importers have avoided the most dangerous substances because they do not want their products to be labelled as hazardous to health.

Green Office: The project "UGreen Office" has been launched in the public sector. 120 municipalities have participated. The project gives advice on more environmentally sound running of offices (routines and purchasing). The project has been found to have considerable power on the market and has influenced manufacturers and suppliers to change their services.

Green public purchasing policy: Through a project, criteria for a green public purchasing policy has been proposed. It is now being assessed how a green public purchasing policy can be established.

For more information, please contact: Ministry of Environment P.O.Box 8013 Dep 0030 Oslo Att: 0ystein Soetrang Phone: +47 34 60 57 Fax: + 47 34 95 60