In 2019, the City of Oslo local authority took the decision to phase out all unnecessary disposable plastic items from its operations. In addition, a disposable plastics directive is to be introduced nationally in 2021, which will concern one of many disposable plastic articles. There is a need within the local authority for a body of knowledge that identifies the most environmentally friendly alternatives to disposable plastic items, with a focus on the 10 most purchased products in this category. This concerns all those working within the municipality's operations who buy in disposable products, and particularly those at service locations. Life cycle analysis (LCA) as a tool is well-suited for comparing the environmental presentation of different materials and products. In this project, LCA will be employed as a basis for creating this body of knowledge. This will be achieved by first identifying and defining the functions to be fulfilled by the various products, and then calculating the environmental footprint throughout the life cycle of the products for the different materials (current disposable plastic as well as alternative solutions / other materials) as a comparison.
