Smart policy development within producer responsibility for fishing gear

Purpose and goal:

SPIRAL, an innovation project where the SwAm and the Swedish EPA wanted to test new working methods to produce policy innovation projects and policy development for the authorities in connection with an single use plastic directive. The project has:

contributed to documentation that can contribute to enforcing the regulation and that these are perceived as simple, clear and easy to use contributed to increased understanding of how authorities should cooperate and exchange experiences contributed with documentation on the perspective of the owners of needs

Expected results and effects:

Users´ and stakeholders´ insights and experiences were crucial for the project´s work. The project worked with the ambition of having an open and listening approach to the actors it collaborated with. The project has: conducted practical tests of collection and reporting, mobilized an interest in forming producer responsibility organizations, developed methods to counteract so-called "free riders", developed new forms of collaboration between authorities, clarified the definition of fishing gear, and initiated a Swedish standardization committee.

Approach and implementation:

The project has created experiences, knowledge, and collaborations. The project´s inclusive approach has contributed to two actors being interested in forming producer responsibility organizations. Throughout the project, there has been a platform for collaborations between relevant government agencies, Sotenäs municipality, producers, and interest organizations.

The project´s results are also expected to have longer-term effects by promoting compliance with regulations and more efficient circular waste management within the framework of producer responsibility.