“Circular Plastic” Summer jobs 2024

'Circular Plastic 2023-2026' is an NTNU project, supported by Handelens Miljøfond, which facilitates interaction between students, researchers and the business world to increase the use of circular plastic. This year we offer summer jobs within six different themes. The students will work in teams together with external problem owners and academic supervisor(s) from NTNU. In conclusion, each team will summarize their results in the form of one or more poster(s) to be presented at Plastdagen 2024 in Ålesund on 26 September and/or in Trondheim on 3 October.

Working remotely periodically will be appropriate for some of the teams.

Tasks

Aquaculture

• Promote the transition from a linear to a circular economy within aquaculture by establishing and implementing sustainable circular value chains for plastic from discarded equipment from the aquaculture industry through reuse, repair, life extension and use of the recycled material in new products.

Plastic in clothing

• Mapping of recycling players and technologies in Europe and selected markets (technology, players, volume, maturity, etc). Mapping of sustainable plastic packaging for the textile industry in Europe (technology, actors, volume, maturity, etc.)

Marine plastic pollution (Mausund)

• Field work in the Froan archipelago, accompanied by coastal renovators at the Eider AS Mausund Field Station. You will be given tasks within a selection of islands in the area and map the influx of marine plastic waste. This will be a follow-up work to the work carried out by the students who had summer jobs in 2023. At the field station, you must sort, systematize and document the collected material.

Total ecological analysis of plastic cleanup

• Fieldwork in the form of a series of case studies where time consumption is calculated for cleaning up plastic waste in different coastal biotopes including cleaning up using different technical devices. Field work and analysis of data for comparison of quantity and type of plastic waste against infiltration capacity in soil, as well as comparison with vegetation (vegetation analyses). Use of dGPS (training can be provided, but desirable if a student is competent), some use of GIS.

Chemical recycling

• Exploring the possibility of developing a new plastic recycling system that can recycle all plastic waste qualities.

Maritime industry (Ålesund)

• How to reduce plastic consumption in various industries: aquaculture, furniture, fishing, etc.

Who we are looking for

• Engaged and motivated students, who are particularly concerned with making the use of plastic more circular.
• Students with a relevant background, who are working towards a completing their master’s degree in 2024 or 2025.
• Has good written and oral presentation skills in Norwegian or English.

Application deadline 31st of January.

All applicants will receive feedback before 20th of February. .

Join us in the fight against plastic pollution and contribute to a more sustainable future!