Exploring Opportunities for Repurposing Ropes
The Norwegian aquaculture industry consumes 5–6,000 tonnes of rope annually, all certified in accordance with NS9415. At the end of their certification period, the standard solution has been to send these ropes to recycling facilities. In collaboration with our project partners, Oceanize and Sinkaberg-Hansen, ScaleAQ is exploring new opportunities for repurposing ropes before they are ultimately recycled. This work is part of the GJENTA(U) project (REPURPOSING ROPE), which is funded by the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund.
A Process for Recertification and Repurposing
The project aims to establish a process for recertifying ropes from the aquaculture industry, allowing them to be repurposed for new applications. Successfully recertifying and repurposing ropes would reduce the need for producing and transporting new equipment, offering significant environmental, climate, and economic benefits. Our goal is to enable sustainable plastics handling by ensuring that plastics remain within the circular economy. This prevents plastics from being lost through export, incineration, or other disposal methods.
Measuring Environmental Impact Through Life Cycle Analysis
To document the benefits, we will conduct a life cycle analysis (LCA) to assess and verify the environmental footprint of repurposed ropes. The findings will be presented through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), providing certified insights into the environmental performance of repurposed materials.
