Driving circularity, one waste stream at a time

One of last year’s key events was the launch of Ragn-Sells Havbruk’s technology, the world’s first plant to use an innovative filter technology to extract energy and phosphorus from fish sludge. Today, thousands of tonnes of fish faeces and feed waste from Norway’s fish farms are released into the sea, harming the aquatic ecosystems. With the Havbruk technology, we can reduce pollution while recovering valuable resources. In addition, it has the potential to become a new billion dollar industry, allowing more fish to be farmed without damaging the coastal environment.

Polluted fjords are one of Norway’s biggest sustainability challenges, and the Havbruk project can help to mitigate the problem. But as long as virgin raw materials are as cheap as they are now, they will stand in the way of a circular transition, says Vidar. 

To influence policymakers, Ragn-Sells in Norway wants to strengthen the group’s advocacy work. 

– With more than 100 years of experience in what we do, we can be a strong voice for the circular economy. However, the economic  situation and the many conflicts in our world are slowing down advocacy efforts, as decision-makers are preoccupied with 
short-term concerns, says Vidar.

In addition to the large-scale Havbruk project, the Ragn-Sells team in Norway is involved in a number of smaller, but no less important, endeavours, from implementing recycling solutions for flat glass, wood waste, and electric vehicles to reducing emissions from transport.

- There are so many good things being done throughout the organisation. We must harness these small but concrete initiatives and take pride in what we do. This applies not only to our employees but also to our customers, says Vidar Svenning Olsen.