The production of toothbrushes at Flisa was moved to England almost 20 years ago. But the toothbrushes that were thrown away as faulty goods in the 1970s and 1980s are still lying in the forest a mile from the city centre. Several thousand cubic meters of plastic are dumped on the private property. It must have been an agreement Jordan made with the then landowner. – This is the worst thing I have ever come across, says Robert Tollefsen in Plastpiratene i Innlandet. He fears that the plastic will end up in the nearby stream. It flows into the Flisa river, which ends in Glomma. Can pollute the sea The toothbrushes lying on the ground were thrown away in the 1980s and look the same today as when they were thrown away. That’s because they are made of hygienic plastic. It has a longer breakdown time. – They claim that this type of plastic is not as dangerous as other types of plastic. But plastic is plastic, says Robert Tollefsen. Even if the Plastic Pirates are going to Flisa and clean up along Glomma this weekend, they cannot clean away this plastic. – There are such large quantities that we have neither the capacity nor the crew for it, he says. TOOTHBRUSHES: The discarded toothbrushes were covered with earth, but are now lying in the open in the forest in Åsnes. Photo: Frode Meskau / news He and Rita Fossmoen, who live in the area, believe that it must be cleaned up. Because even if much of the plastic hasn’t disintegrated yet, it will. And then they fear the Flisaelva and the Glomma, which again flow into the sea. – It is not safe for it to be left in nature, says Fossmoen. She believes that Orkla, which took over for Jordan, and Åsnes municipality must deal with it before it is too late. Big problem for the municipality The environmental officer in the technical agency in Åsnes, Marius Skymoen, admits that the pile of plastic after the Jordan factory is a big problem for them. Water samples have been taken in the stream that flows just where the plastic was buried, and they show slightly elevated values. New tests will be taken in the autumn. He believes it is a little less of a problem than if it had been ordinary plastic. WORKING ON A SOLUTION: The environmental officer in the technical agency in Åsnes, Marius Skymoen, is working to find out how to remove the plastic. – Something must be done because there will be more runoff, but we have time to find a solution, he says. One solution is to break down the plastic chemically and close off the stream. The municipality is responsible for finding a solution. But like several other municipalities, they have poor means and several old waste sites that were used before anyone thought about environmental protection. Don’t know who will pay Since the agreement on emptying the rubbish in the forest was made by Jordan, who has closed down, and a landowner who is no longer alive, it is uncertain who will have to foot the bill for the clean-up. In 2012, Orkla bought the Jordan factory. And there is a new landowner who has taken over the forest area. Marius Skymoen in Åsnes municipality says the responsibility is threefold. The municipality must find a solution, but it is Orkla that is actually the reason why there is plastic there. Even if it happened before they bought the factory. A LOT OF PLASTIC: In addition to toothbrushes, there are several other industrial items that have been dumped in the forest. Photo: Frode Meskau / news And it is the landowner who owns the place, even if he did not make the agreement with Jordan at the time. – It must be Orkla that bears the cost, says Einar Ottesen Toverud. It is he who is now the landowner. He bought the property this spring, knowing that plastic from Jordan was buried there. – Everyone knew it, he says. It was no secret, and he believes that the municipality must have approved it at the time since it was arranged with pipes in the stream. He was a little skeptical about buying the property but thought it would work out. Now he fears that the clean-up will be a big financial burden for him. What a deal he had nothing to do with. Not responsible Orkla believes the responsibility lies with Åsnes municipality and the landowner. They have investigated the matter and found that there was an agreement that the former landowner collected the waste from the factory and deposited it on his own private land from the 1960s to the 1980s. The company has paid for that. Private landfills were common and considered suitable around the country 50–60 years ago. But even if Orkla believes they have no legal responsibility, they will be involved and contribute to a solution. – It is not a pleasant sight to see old products from us lying in nature like this, says Orkla’s communications manager, Anne Gjemdal. She believes this situation shows the need to put in place a circular economy where used plastic returns to the cycle and is then reused.
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Thousands of toothbrushes have been dumped in the forest. Now the landowner and Åsnes municipality must clean up – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
