swedish waste management...about avfall sverige – swedish waste management 33 staff 34 content...

SwediSh waSte ManageMent

PReFaCe 3

how SwediSh waSte ManageMent woRkS 4

ColleCtion and tRanSPoRt 6

waSte quantitieS 2008 8

hazaRdouS waSte 10

waSte FRoM eleCtRiCal and eleCtRoniC equiPMent 12

MateRial ReCyCling 13

BiologiCal tReatMent 16

waSte-to-eneRgy 19

landFill 22

waSte otheR than houSehold waSte 25

waSte eConoMiCS 26

waSte agenda 28

gloSSaRy 30

aBout avFall SveRige – SwediSh waSte ManageMent 33

StaFF 34

Content

SwediSh waSte ManageMent 2009

3

PReFaCe

Sweden is the world-leader in waste manage-

ment. this is demonstrated through the great

interest in Swedish environmental technology

in the waste sector. and we should be proud!

thanks to a great commitment from citizens,

property owners, producers, contractors, and

local authorities, 97 percent of all household

waste today is being recycled.

after having seen an increase in waste vol-

umes for several years, they are now leveling

off. there is a close connection between the

economic situation and consumption, and

between consumption and waste volumes.

through the framework directive for waste, the

european union requires that the member

states take measures to prevent the produc-

tion of waste. Countries are required to devel-

op a waste reduction plan with the aim of sta-

bilizing their waste production by the year

2012 and reducing it by 2020. this work has

been initialized and should be finished by

2013. all member states in the eu should

have established a waste prevention program

by this time. avfall Sverige is one of the actors

in this process.

the annual report, “Swedish waste

Management” has been published by avfall

Sverige for more than ten years now. it briefly

describes how waste management works in

Sweden. through texts, figures and tables, it

presents factual information that has been

updated based on the latest available statis-

tics. the report, “Swedish waste Management

2009” is intended for those active in the

waste industry, local and central decision-

makers, authorities, educational institutions,

media, and other interested parties.

Malmö June 2009

weine wiqvist,

Managing director avfall Sverige


4

waste shall be treated in such a way that the

maximal environmental and social benefits

are achieved. all parties participate in this

work – from producers to households. the

producers are responsible for their various

product groups, the local authorities are

responsible for the household waste, and the

operators in the sector are responsible for tak-

ing care of all waste which is not household

waste. the households have the responsibility

to separate paper, packaging, electric waste,

batteries, and bulky waste and to leave this

waste for the collection systems available.

households also have the responsibility to fol-

low the regulations for waste management

within their municipality.

waste management is prioritized according

to a five step waste hierarchy: waste preven-

tion, reuse, material recycling, recovery – for

example energy recovery – and last, disposal.

how SwediSh waSte ManageMent woRkS

exceptions from the hierarchy may be neces-

sary for technical, economical or environmen-

tal reasons.

eu decisions set the frameworks for Swedish

waste management. the environmental objec-

tives of the Swedish Parliament govern the

waste management and its environmental

aspects. these are the environmental objec-

tives for the waste sector:

a 50 percent reduction of waste going to •

landfills, excluding mining waste, by the

year 2005 compared to levels in 1994.

By 2010, at the latest, a minimum of 50 •

percent of household waste shall be recov-

ered through material recycling, including

biological treatment.

By 2010, at the latest, a minimum of 35 •

percent of food waste from households,

restaurants, large-scale kitchens, and

stores shall be recycled through biological

treatment. the objective refers to source-

separated food waste for both home com-

posting and central treatment.

By 2010, at the latest, food waste, and con-•

sequently also equivalent waste from food

industries etc., shall be recycled through

biological treatment. the objective refers to

waste not mixed with other types of waste,

which subsequent to treatment is of suffi-

cient quality that it is suitable for crop pro-

duction.

By 2015, at the latest, at least 60 percent •

of phosphorus pollution in effluent shall be

treated and used on productive lands, of

which at least half should be used on arable

land.


5

the most important treatment methods for

waste are:

Material recycling•

Biological treatment•

waste-to-energy•

landfill •

hazardous waste can be treated with one or

several of these methods, depending on the

character of the waste.

Recycling of packaging, paper, scrap, and

electric waste, reduce the environmental

impact and save energy and resources.

Biological treatment is implemented through

anaerobic digestion or composting. anaerobic

digestion produces biogas which can be used

as vehicle fuel. the biogas produced from

waste is equivalent to 30 million liters of pet-

rol. anaerobic digestion also produces diges-

tate which is an excellent nutrient. Composting

produces long-lasting fertilizer used as soil

improver in gardens, parks and for ground

installations.

waste incineration is an efficient and envi-

ronmentally safe method for producing energy

from waste. every year it produces heating

which corresponds to the need of 810,000

households, approximately 20 percent of all

the district heating produced. it also produces

electricity which corresponds to the need of

more than 250,000 houses.

landfilling is a necessary treatment method

for such waste which cannot or should not be

recovered or treated in another way. through

landfilling, waste is kept in a long-term safe

way, and the treatment method is controlled

by a strict regulatory framework.

the local authorities can choose how to

organize the waste management. this possi-

bility of municipal self-government is laid down

in the constitutional law. the local authorities

can choose management mode or municipal

undertakings, separate or joint with other

municipalities. Cooperation is also possible

with a joint committee or local government

federation. there are also local authorities

who collaborate on specific matters, such as

joint procurements. to many local authorities

collaboration is a natural solution to attain the

best possible environmental and social bene-

fits, to achieve cost-efficient treatment and to

guarantee the competence required.

in 75 percent of municipalities the collec-

tion of household waste is managed by exter-

nal actors, private companies, while the rest is

managed by the municipalities themselves. in

the same way, waste treatment is effected

either by the municipalities themselves or by

an external actor, often a municipal enterprise

or sometimes a private company.


6

the fastest growing collection method for

household waste is for members of house-

holds themselves to drop off bulky waste and

hazardous waste at one of the municipalities

manned recycling centers. there are about

650 recycling centers in the country and the

quantities of bulky waste, as well as the

number of visitors, have increased in recent

years. during 2008 approximately 1,400,000

tons of waste was handed to the municipal

recycling centers, which corresponds to 154

kg per person. each recycling center received

on average 8,240 visitors that year, or 5,3 mil-

lion visitors in total.

Bulky waste is household waste that is too

heavy, too bulky or for other reasons inappro-

priate for collection in bags or bins. it may be

for example broken furniture, toys, bicycles, or

baby prams, but can also include garden

waste or certain demolition waste. at the recy-

cling centers, the main part of households’

bulky waste, hazardous waste and waste from

electric and electronic equipment (weee) can

be handed in.

Several of the recycling centers in the coun-

try have had problems with burglaries and

thefts in the last years. there have also been

incidents where staff at the centers has been

threatened by visitors. due to this, most of the

bigger and recently built recycling centers

have installed electric fences, which have con-

siderably reduced the number of burglaries.

ColleCtion and tRanSPoRt

Several of the municipalities have also intro-

duced a barrier gate system at recycling cent-

ers to improve the safety, to get a functional

system for access control and to obtain more

accurate visiting statistics. this system is

often combined with an entry card which gives

households the right to a certain number of

free visits. For a fee, small entrepreneurs also

have the possibility to use the services offered

at the recycling centers in several of the

municipalities.

the producers’ system, with approximately

5,800 unmanned recycling stations for pack-

aging and paper, are located around the coun-

try. Collection systems should be formed in

consultation with both producers and local

authorities. the recycling stations have sepa-

rate containers for newspaper and different

types of packaging materials. Several munici-

palities have implemented curbside collection

of material which falls under producers’

responsibility, from apartment blocks and

detached house properties, a collection sys-

tem which is becoming more common.

almost half of all municipalities in the coun-

try now have collection systems for source-

separated food waste. the most common col-

lection systems are collections with separate

containers, one for bio-waste and one for com-

bustible waste, collections with a multi-com-

partment system, or through optical sorting of

different colored bags that are placed into the

same container.

the most common ways to collect the house-

hold waste in bins and bags is either as a

mixed waste fraction intended for waste-to-

energy incineration, or through two separated

waste fractions – one for food waste and one

for combustible waste.

Collection in bags constitutes a working

environment risk and has therefore become

considerably less common. Mixed combusti-

ble waste from single-family houses is in most

cases collected in 190 liter wheelie bins and

emptied every other week. other than this,

there are a number of different bag and bin

sizes which are collected and emptied in vari-

ous intervals. waste from apartment blocks is

normally collected weekly. traditional back-

loading vehicles are still the most common

when it comes to waste collection, but the

technology for multi-compartmented vehicles

is developing and becoming more and more

popular, while side-loading vehicles account

for a more constant share of the operators’

vehicle fleet. an increasing number of vehicles

use biogas as fuel, which the local authorities

may control through purchasing require-

ments.

waste collection previously led to many

work-related injuries. daily heavy lifting was

part of the job in the past, and waste collec-

tion required workers to be in good physical

condition. only a few waste collectors were

able to work until the average retirement age.

today, the situation is different. Bags have


7

been replaced with bins or other types of con-

tainers. Manual handling of waste is being

replaced by new technology and automated

systems, such as refuse vacuum pipes and

underground container systems. Both of these

systems are becoming more common, particu-

larly in bigger cities. one of several advantag-

es is that they do not require heavy manual

handling. From the point of view of health and

safety at work, vacuum collection systems are

good since they are sealed and completely

automated. this type of collection system

reduces the need for waste transportation,

especially in residential areas.

there are two kinds of vacuum collection

systems, a stationary system and a mobile

system. with the stationary system the waste

is collected using air in an automated vacuum

system. it is thereafter transported through

underground tubes, which connect the inlets

with big containers placed in a terminal. with

this technique the waste can be transported

up to a distance of two kilometers from the

inlets. the number of containers varies and

depends, on the one hand, upon the number

of collected fractions, and on the other hand,

on the waste volumes. the containers are col-

lected by hook-lift vehicles.

the mobile vacuum collection system also

uses air to collect the waste. however, here

the vacuum technique originates from the

vehicle. Positioned under each input is a stor-

age tank. the tanks are connected, via an

underground pipe system, to a so called dock-

ing point which could be placed at a maximum

distance of 300 meters from the tanks. the

vehicle connects to the docking point for emp-

tying, the vacuum system is turned on and air

transports the waste from the different stor-

age tanks to the docking point and further

onto the vehicle. Mobile vacuum collection

systems require specialized vehicles.

another collection system that is on the rise

is the underground container system. By plac-

ing containers underground, the need for

space on the street level is reduced. the tem-

perature below the street level, where the

waste is contained, is relatively low, which

prevents odor, and the containers can be eas-

ily emptied with a crane truck. there are also

underground containers which are emptied

with front-loading vehicles. Since the under-

ground containers can hold bigger volumes,

the level of transports is reduced.

Great importance is given to forming and designing waste disposal areas today.

There are different types of vacuum collection systems. What they have in common is that they are closed and automated.

Underground containers will reduce the need for space above street level, and the system also reduces the level of transports.


8

waSte quantitieS 2008

in the last years, waste quantities have

increased by approximately 3-4 percent each

year. however, the figures from 2008 have

stayed more or less the same compared to

2007. the fact that the previous increase has

leveled off is very likely an effect of the reces-

sion. there is a close connection between the

economic situation and consumption, and

between consumption and waste quantities –

lower consumption leads to reduced waste

quantities.

in 2008, a total of 4,731,660 tons of house-

hold waste was treated, a small increase of

0.3 percent compared to 2007. if divided over

the population, this means that each Swedish

resident produces 511,2 kg of waste per year.

there have not been any significant chang-

es regarding the division of waste between

different treatment methods over the last

years. 97 percent of household waste is recov-

ered, while only 3 percent goes to landfills, a

reduction of close to 25 percent compared

with 2007.

Material recycling has decreased some-

what, and is now at 35 percent, while incinera-

tion with energy recovery has increased, and

is now 48.5 percent. Biological treatment,

anaerobic digestion or composting, has also

increased and now represents 12.6 percent.

597,280 tons of household waste was treated

biologically last year, which is an increase of

close to 36,000 tons or 6.4 percent. Park and

garden waste as well as food waste are includ-

ed in those figures.

Material recycling, excluding biological treat-

ment, has decreased by close to 80,000 tons

or 4.6 percent. 1,657,840 tons of packaging,

paper, electric waste and metal from the

municipal recycling centers was taken care of

through recycling.

2,292,970 tons of household waste was

treated through incineration with energy recov-

ery, an increase of 4.7 percent and more than

100,000 tons.

landfill disposal continues to decrease.

140,250 tons of household waste went to

landfills in 2008. this is a decrease of 46,000

tons from the previous year, or 24.8 percent.

hazardous waste still represents 0.9 per-

cent of treated household waste. 43,320 tons

was collected last year. almost half of that

waste was impregnated wood, 21,380 tons, a

fraction which has increased considerably in

the last years.


9

SuMMaRy 1998-2008

quantity oF tReated houSehold waSte 2004–2008 (tonS) 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008hazardous waste 25,700 26,400 38,960 40,880 43,320Material recovery 1,384,760 1,474,280 1,657,520 1,737,720 1,657,840Biological treatment 433,830 454,450 469,880 561,300 597,280incineration with energy recovery 1,944,290 2,181,890 2,107,860 2,190,980 2,292,970landfilling 380,000 210,110 226,000 186,490 140,250Total 4,168,580 4,347,130 4,500,220 4,717,370 4,731,660

quantity oF tReated houSehold waSte 2004–2008 (kg/PeRSon) 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008hazardous waste 2.9 2.9 4.3 4.5 4.7Material recovery 153.7 162.9 181.9 189.2 179.1Biological treatment 48.1 50.2 51.6 61.1 64.5incineration with energy recovery 215.8 241.2 231.3 238.6 247.7landfilling 42.2 23.2 24.8 20.3 15.2Total 462.6 480.5 493.8 513.7 511.2

quantity oF tReated houSehold waSte 2004–2008 (%)

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008hazardous waste 0.6 0.6 0.9 0.9 0.9Material recovery 33.2 33.9 36.8 36.8 35.0Biological treatment 10.4 10.5 10.4 11.9 12.6incineration with energy recovery 46.6 50.2 46.8 46.4 48.5landfilling 9.1 4.8 5.0 4.0 3.0Total 100 100 100 100 100

Source: avfall Sverige

waSte StatiStiCS 2009

milj. ton5

4

3

2

1

0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Total quantity of treated household waste Tons %hazardous waste 43,320 0.9Material recovery 1,65,840 35.0Biological treatment 597,280 12.6incineration with energy recovery 2,292,970 48.5Landfilling 140,250 3.0

total 4,731,660 100

the quantities of household waste are no longer increasing; a clear effect of the recession. Reduced con-sumption leads to reduced waste quantities. Sweden is today recycling 97 percent of its household waste.

ton

-03 -04 -05 -06 -08-07-98 -99 -00

Hazardous wasteBiological treatment

LandfillingMaterial recovery

Incineration with energy recovery

-01 -020

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000


10

in 2008, 43,320 tons of hazardous waste was

collected from households, an increase of 6.0

percent compared to 2007. on average, 4.7 kg

of hazardous waste per capita was handed in.

the figures include lead-acid batteries, small

batteries and impregnated wood, a fraction

which has steadily increased over recent years

and today constitutes close to half of all haz-

ardous waste from households. 21,380 tons

of impregnated wood was collected last year,

which is an increase of 22 percent compared

to 2007. hazardous waste, including impreg-

nated wood, represented 0.9 percent of

household waste.

But at the same time as the quantities of

impregnated wood increase, other kinds of

hazardous waste are decreasing. the collect-

hazaRdouS waSte

ed amounts were, impregnated wood exclud-

ed, 21,940 tons, a reduction of 6 percent

compared to the previous year.

hazardous waste can be toxic, carcinogenic,

corrosive, mutagenic, ecotoxic, infectious, or

flammable. hazardous substances may occur

in very small amounts in various products, but

could all together cause great damage if they

end up in the wrong place. it is therefore

important that hazardous waste is separated

and handed in correctly.

local authorities are responsible for collec-

tion, transport and treatment of hazardous

household waste. the responsibility is regu-

lated by legislation. households are responsi-

ble for separating hazardous waste from other

household waste. the majority of local author-

ities have had this responsibility included in

their Municipal waste Regulation ordinance

for a long time.

there are no precise statistics of the

amounts of hazardous waste from industries,

but according to the official Swedish waste

statistics, reported to the eu by the Swedish

environmental Protection agency, Swedish

households and enterprises produced 2.8 mil-

lion tons of hazardous waste in 2006, includ-

ing electrical waste, scrap vehicles etc.

a new producers’ responsibility for batteries

went into effect on January 1st, 2009.

the new regulations gives the battery pro-

ducers a responsibility to collect, treat, recycle

and dispose all batteries regardless of when

they appeared on the market.


11

in 2008, the municipalities collected 1,826

tons of small batteries, both hazardous and

non-hazardous, an average of 0.2 kg per per-

son. Compared to 2007 this constitutes an

increase of 8.8 percent.

the most common collection system regard-

ing hazardous waste is collection at manned

municipal recycling centers. Several munici-

palities have stopped using the previously

common unmanned recycling stations and

have instead introduced some kind of curb-

side collection. approximately one third of all

municipalities in the country offer curbside

collection, often in combination with several

other collection systems.

ColleCtion oF SMall BatteRieS 2002–2008

kg/person

-03 -04 -05 -08-07-06-020

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

quantity oF hazaRdouS waSte ColleCted

tons

-03 -04 -05 -08-07-06-98 -99 -00 -01

Quantity of hazardous waste collected (excl. impregnated wood)

-020

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

Quantity of hazardous waste collected (inc. impregnated wood)

hazardous waste handed to treatment facili-

ties often requires pre-treatment in order to

facilitate further treatment. Since hazardous

waste contains hazardous substances, the

treatment often aims at destroying these sub-

stances. Substance which cannot be rendered

harmless or be reused will be landfilled. in

these cases it is important that the waste is

stabilized chemically and physically so hazard-

ous substances do not leak to surrounding

areas.

new treatment methods regarding recycling

of hazardous waste have been developed,

which involve the separation of hazardous

substances and the recycling of the remaining

parts. the method is for instance used for

treatment of paint cans, oil filters and flores-

cent tubes. lead and cadmium can be recy-

cled through the re-melting of batteries. toxic

and persistent organic substances, such as

pesticides and other hazardous chemical

wastes, are incinerated at high temperatures.

Contaminated soil can be decontaminated

through biodegradation. impregnated wood

contains ecologically harmful substances such

as arsenic, creosote, and copper. Collected

wood is chipped and incinerated in specially

licensed waste-to-energy plants.


12

151,700 tons of waste from electrical and elec-

tronic equipment (weee) was collected in

2008, a reduction of 5.4 percent compared to

2007. on average, 16.4 kg per person was col-

lected in 2008. the previous year, the average

was 17.4 kg per person. there is a clear con-

nection between the economic situation, con-

sumption, and waste production. the reduction

is likely to be a result of the recession and of

smaller and lighter products.

Since the producers’ responsibility was

introduced in Sweden, local authorities and

producers have cooperated in the manage-

ment of weee. avfall Sverige – Swedish waste

Management, the Swedish association of

local authorities and Regions (SalaR), and

the electrical producers’ service company,

el-kretsen, together created the system,

el-retur, in 2001. the collaboration means

that local authorities assume responsibility for

waSte FRoM eleCtRiC and eleCtRoniC equiPMent

the collection of electrical and electronic

waste and the producers are responsible for

its treatment.

Collection of this waste is primarily carried

out at the manned municipal recycling cent-

ers, of which there are approximately 650

throughout the country. in some municipalities

this is complemented by curbside collection.

avfall Sverige and el-kretsen collaborate with

several local authorities on different projects

to develop these collection systems. an exam-

ple of this is the collection of light bulbs and

smaller electric and electronic waste into

small containers, which are placed in stores

and other public places.

weee is pretreated through sorting and

dismantling before it is sent on for further

treatment. Pretreatment is carried out in certi-

fied facilities, and are latern forwarded to final

treatment and recycling.

Components containing hazardous substances,

i.e. hazardous waste, are treated in approved

treatment facilities. Plastic casings are incin-

erated in waste-to-energy plants, and metal is

recycled in smelting plants. Fluorescent tubes

and low-energy bulbs contain mercury. these

products are therefore separated and treated

in a closed process. the glass and metal con-

tents are recycled, and methods enabling the

recycling of the phosphorus powder with its

mercury content, are being developed.

it happens that old electronic products are

donated to other countries as charity, for what

may seem like a good cause, but this is how-

ever not environmental friendly. From an envi-

ronmental point of view, it is better to have

these products recycled in Sweden, where we

have methods to treat such waste in an envi-

ronmentally sound way.

weee 2004–2008 (tonS) 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008large white goods (excl. fridges and freezers) 36,800 36,300 45,500 45,500 42,000other household appliances 10,200 12,300 11,900 12,600 10,100it , office equipment, telecom 17,700 22,700 27,600 30,800 28,100tv , audio, video 15,700 21,000 26,300 30,400 32,900Cameras, watches, toys 200 300 300 300 600lamps electrical fittings 5,800 6,700 7,900 7,900 6,300others 900 2,200 2,400 2,300 2,900Total 87,300 101,500 121,900 129,800 122,900Fridges and freezers 21,800 25,000 28,000 30,500 28,800Total 109,100 126,500 149,900 160,300 151,700

Source: el-kretsen


13

Material recycling including biological treat-

ment, decreased by almost 2 percent in 2008

compared to the previous year. Material recy-

cling accounted for 2,255,120 tons, which

represents 243.6 kg per person. the Swedish

Parliament has set the goal of having at least

50 percent of household waste going to mate-

rial recycling, including biological treatment,

by 2010. last year the material recycling

reached 47.6 percent.

the part of material recycling which includes

packaging, paper, electrical waste, as well as

bulky waste collected as metal fraction in

municipal recycling centers, decreased to

1,657,840 tons, which is 179.1 kg per person

MateRial ReCyCling

and corresponds to 35 percent of all treated

household waste.

Metal waste from households handed to the

recycling centers, such as bicycles and garden

furniture, have increased every year, but

decreased by 28,000 tons between 2007 and

2008. last year, 152,000 tons of metal waste

was collected for recycling, which is 16.4 kg

per person. that is almost the same quantity

as in 2006.

one explanation for the reduced quantities

of waste going to material recycling is the eco-

nomic recession. Reduced consumption leads

to reduced waste quantities. at the same time,

recycling of newspapers and some types of

packaging has increased, meaning that a

greater extent of packages and newspapers

put on the market gets recycled.

the presented figures on quantities of

paper, plastic and metal packaging are based

on packaging quantities reported by produc-

tion companies, which pay fees to the so

called RePa Register (producer responsibility

register for packaging). Packaging is mainly

collected through the some 5,800 unmanned

recycling stations that producers control.

however, it can also be collected at the

manned municipal recycling centers. Several

municipalities have introduced curbside col-

lection of newspapers and packaging.

ton

1990 1995 2000 201020051975 1980 19850

200,000400,000600,000800,000

1,000,0001,200,0001,400,0001,600,0001,800,0002,000,000

MateRial ReCyCling houSeholdS


14

the amount of newspaper collected decreased

to 459,000 tons in 2008. the recycling rate

however went up to 89 percent; the target rate

of 75 percent was achieved a long time ago.

the amount of office paper that was collected

decreased to 156,000 tons, which is approxi-

mately 68.1 percent of the amount produced

on the market. the result thereby exceeds the

voluntary target of 50 percent.

482,000 tons of paper packaging – paper,

paper packaging and corrugated cardboard –

was recycled in 2008. the joint recycling target

for all packaging made from paper fibers was

65 percent, while the recycling rate for last

year was 74 percent.

32,660 tons of metal packaging was recycled

last year, which is 67 percent of the quantity

available on the market. the recycling target

was 70 percent.

50,310 tons, or 30.5 percent, of plastic

packaging went to material recycling in 2008.

48,750 tons went to waste-to-energy incinera-

tion, which is 29.5 percent. that adds up to a

total recovery rate of 60 percent of plastic

packaging. the government’s recovery target is

70 percent, of which 30 percent should go to

material recycling.

174,170 tons, or 93.6 percent, of glass

packaging was recycled. the recycling target

was 70 percent.

Plastic and glass are the only types of packag-

ing where the collected quantities have

increased since 2007.

Producers of packaging and paper and local

authorities have made a joint agreement with

increased recycling as the common objective.

the joint agreement aims to provide clearer

information, better methods of evaluating serv-

ices, research and development, locally adjust-

ed systems and better coordinated planning of

the waste management as a whole.


15

ReCyCling 2008 [Tonnes] [kg/person] Recovery degree % Target %

Paper 459,000 49.6 89 75office paper 156,000 16.9 68.1 Cardboard packages 482,000 52.1 74 65Metal packages 32,660 3.5 67 70Plastic packages 50,310 5.4 30.5 70glass packages 174,170 18.8 93.6 70weee 122,900 13.3 80 Refrigeration units 28,800 3.1 95 Metal from household waste 152,000 16.4 95 Total 1,657,840 179.1 * 29.5 % waste-to-energy. Total recovery degree 60 %. ** Of which 30 % waste-to-energy

ReCyCling oF houSehold waSte 2004-2008 (tonneS) 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Paper 448,000 483,000 483,000 474,000 459,000office paper 128,000 135,000 153,000 164,000 156,000Cardboard packages 375,000 380,000 486,790 504,000 482,000Metal packages 33,500 33,700 33,700 35,300 32,660Plastic packages 29,400 31,080 42,130 49,120 50,310glass packages 152,020 155,000 159,000 171,100 174,170weee 87,000 101,500 121,900 129,700 122,900Refrigeration units 21,840 25,000 28,000 30,500 28,800Metal from household waste 110,000 130,000 150,000 180,000 152,000Total 1,384,760 1,474,280 1,657,520 1,737,720 1,657,840

Source: Förpacknings- och tidningsinsamlingen, el-kretsen and avfall Sverige

*/**


16

last year, 597,280 tons of household waste

was biologically treated. an increase of 6.4

percent compared to 2007. in total that means

that 64.5 kg of food waste and green waste

per person was biologically treated in 2008.

the biological treatment now stands for 12.6

percent of the total quantity of treated house-

hold waste.

133 of 290 municipalities already have

more or less implemented systems for collec-

tion of food waste. 22 of these only collect

food waste from restaurants and large-scale

kitchens, while the remaining 111 municipali-

ties have systems for households as well.

these municipalities represent half of the

Swedish population. according to a study car-

ried out by avfall Sverige, an additional 90

municipalities are planning to introduce sys-

tems for source-separation of food waste. the

same study shows that all municipalities need

to act in order to reach the environmental

objective. according to avfall Sverige’s calcula-

tions, an estimated 20 percent of the food

waste was biologically treated in 2008.

BiologiCal tReatMent

waste analysis shows that every Swedish resi-

dent produces close to 100 kg of food waste

every year, mainly from fruit and vegetables.

the most common system used for source

separation of food waste in single-family hous-

es is two separate bins, one for food waste

and one for combustible waste. there is also a

system where different fractions are separat-

ed into separate containers. another collec-

tion system, which is used, is optic sorting of

different colored bags that are put into the

same container. through anaerobic diges-

tion of biological waste, biogas, consisting of

methane and carbon dioxide, is produced.

Biogas is renewable and the most environ-

mentally sound fuel available, and can be

used for vehicle fuel, heating and electricity

generation.

in order to use biogas as vehicle fuel it needs

to be upgraded. in 2008, 280,000 Mwh of

biogas was produced, which is equivalent to

30 million liters of petrol. Biogas is today pri-

marily used as vehicle fuel, a market which is

developing quickly.

anaerobic digestion also produces diges-

tate, which is an excellent fertilizer. 389,350

tons of digestate was produced in 2008, of

which 96 percent was used in farming. the

remaining 4 percent was either dehydrated

and/or processed with after-composting.

the compost produced at plants is mainly

used as soil improver or in soil mixtures.

Plants which produce compost or digestate

from source separated bio-waste, including

food waste from the food industry, can have

their product quality marked. the quality

1990 1995 2000 201020051975 1980 19850

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000tons



17

assurance system

has been developed

by avfall Sverige,

among others.

Certification places

requirements on the

entire waste manage-

ment chain, from the incoming waste to the

final product. a number of plants are currently

going through the process of having their prod-

ucts certified. eight biogas plants and three

composting plants have obtained certificates.

a voluntary undertaking to minimize the

emissions from biogas and upgrading plants,

was initiated by avfall Sverige and further

developed throughout 2008. air emissions

may arise from different stages of biological

treatment through anaerobic digestion of

organic material and in biogas upgrading proc-

esses in treatment plants. even though the

emissions from biogas plants are low, they

should be minimized for several reasons. they

can be attended to by putting a larger focus on

operational issues. approximately 30 biogas

and upgrading plants have signed up for the

voluntary undertaking.


18

Composting Total (tons) of which household waste

alingsås 3,620 3,510Borlänge 12,400 11,810Borås 8,950 2,670eslöv 16,310 12,010Fagersta 4,090 780gällivare 6,920 560göteborg 25,430 24,410habo 790 290halmstad 25,420 1,760helsingborg 55,320 39,940huddinge 12,900 12,900hässleholm 12,300 10,120karlshamn 12,240 9,740karlskrona 7,830 7,830klippan 9,050 7,160kungsbacka 6,500 360ludvika 7,450 4,600luleå 18,370 11,940Malmö 32,660 32,660Motala 2,610 2,610Mörrum 14,500 12,010norrtälje 1,040 970Sala 9,720 6,250Södertälje 9,800 5,100tranås 1,730 500täby 30,210 23,240uppsala 10,880 9,280västerås 9,910 6,900Örebro 9,600 9,600Östersund 12,810 6,260Överkalix 740 230

Total 392,100 278,000 other plants 176,600 176,600

Total 568,700 454,600

Anaerobic digestion Total (tons) of which household waste

Bjuv 52,000 0Boden 2,510 1,400Borås 15,870 4,670eskilstuna 2,940 2,940Falköping 7,060 3,210helsingborg 65,540 15,210huddinge 910 610Jönköping 4,490 1,780kalmar 21,990 0kristianstad 81,340 4,300laholm 59,170 900linköping 40,700 0Skellefteå 5,300 3,420Skövde 3,550 0uppsala 6,560 2,290vetlanda 2,550 2,550vänersborg 12,700 10,100västerås 20,400 14,3000Total 405,580 67,680

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

anaerobic digestion 244,374 258,071 283,729 356,087 405,580Composting 389,384 459,827 452,388 515,294 568,700total biological treatment 633,758 717,710 736,117 871,380 974,280of which food waste 107,028 118,960 134,994 166,807 162,680total quantity of household waste treated biologically* 433,830 454,450 469,877 561,303 597,280 digestate (tons) 211,080 251,840 272,730 336,100 389,350Biogas (Mwh) 118,900 161,600 181,270 228,810 280,000 vehicle gas (Mwh) 70,170 68,600 80,180 112,860 162,420electricity (Mwh) 6,230 1,260 1,680 1,230 700heating (Mwh) 38,230 61,620 63,600 67,960 48,740Crude gas (Mwh) 0 19,130 26,250 36,370 42,300

* including 75,000 tons of home composting.


19

in 2008, 2,292,970 tons of household waste

went to incineration with energy recovery

(waste-to-energy). that was an increase of

100,000 tons compared to 2007. divided over

the Swedish population, 247 kg of household

waste per person was incinerated last year.

waste-to-energy accounts for 48.5 percent of

the total amount of treated household waste.

expansion and improvement of effective-

ness have led to increased energy recovery in

the last years. 13.7 twh of energy was pro-

duced through incineration, of which 12.2

twh was used for heating and 1.5 twh for

electricity. that corresponds to electricity for

250,000 normal sized homes, and heating for

810,000 homes. a study on european waste-

to-energy production shows that Sweden has

the highest rate of energy recovery from waste

incineration*.

in addition, 2,273,840 tons of other waste

was treated, mainly industrial waste. the total

amount of incinerated waste was 4,566,810

tons, and more or less the same amount of

household waste and other waste was treated

at the plants. waste incineration with energy

recovery also takes place in plants which do

not treat household waste. there are no statis-

tics on the total amount of energy recovery

through waste incineration, since avfall Sverige

waSte-to-eneRgy

only gathers information from the incineration

plants treating household waste.

Sweden has placed strict regulations on air

and water emissions from waste incineration

since the middle of the 1980’s. emissions

have been reduced by 90-99 percent since

that time. apart from stricter regulations,

other factors such as progressing technologi-

cal development and improved waste separa-

tion have contributed to reduced emissions.

the remains from incineration consist of

bottom ash from the furnace, 15-20 percent

by weight of the treated waste, and flue gas

treatment residues, 3-5 percent by weight.

Part of the slag goes to landfills, while slag

gravel may be used as substitute to natural

gravel in, for example, road and landfill con-

struction work. the flue gas treatment resi-

dues are either transported to landfills or used

for neutralization when refilling mines.

in 2008, the new eu waste Framework

directive was approved, stating that efficient

waste-to-energy treatment is considered recy-

cling.

in Sweden, one new incineration plant and

two new boilers were put into service in 2008.

there are 29 plants for incineration of house-

hold waste, which will continue to expand in

2009 and 2010.

imported waste used for energy recovery has

increased in recent years and has become an

increasingly important source of Swedish dis-

trict energy systems. an evaluation on the cli-

mate impact of imported waste going to waste-

to-energy incineration**, carried out by avfall

Sverige – Swedish waste Management and

Swedish district heating association, shows

that the emissions of greenhouse gases, due

to the import of waste to Swedish district heat-

ing facilities, decreased by 500,000 tons of

Co2 equivalents in 2007.

the main reason for the large emission

reduction is that imports replace waste treat-

ment in the country of origin. this includes,

first of all, landfilling which reduce emissions

of methane considerably, a very potent green-

house gas. the report shows that the trans-

portation of waste in comparison only margin-

ally adds to the greenhouse emissions.

waste-to-energy incineration is a sanitary

and environmentally sound treatment method

of such waste which cannot or should not be

treated otherwise.

* ”energy from waste – an international perspective”avfall Sverige report 2009:05 is available for download at www.avfallsveige.se

** ”klimatpåverkan från import av brännbart avfall”avfall Sverige report u2009:06 is available for download at www.avfallsverige.se


20

Processed waste (tons) Energy recovery (MWh)

Plant (town) Household waste Total Heating Electricity

avesta 21,210 48,530 157,040 0Boden 30,210 67,390 191,000 19,500Bollnäs 22,580 48,540 122,270 0Borlänge 9,130 30,880 80,650 730Borås 29,680 96,330 233,630 32,650eksjö 32,840 54,050 94,000 12,180Finspång 23,350 30,390 67,330 0göteborg 292,310 453,010 1,226,370 233,790halmstad 94,020 185,290 435,340 61,770hässleholm 9,880 40,740 117,840 6,600Jönköping 56,690 149,550 348,810 106,400karlskoga 33,160 99,710 332,000 35,000karlstad 47,710 54,800 166,350 0kil 0 12,590 35,240 0kiruna 31,120 60,000 126,510 23,270kumla 41,210 145,310 228,300 59,950köping 14,670 27,160 72,530 0lidköping 56,910 96,240 292,510 23,680linköping 177,380 396,750 1,024,120 130,190ljungby 51,400 57,600 130,300 19,920Malmö 216,140 440,580 1,246,030 180,310Mora 10,660 14,070 40,520 0norrköping 102,670 196,930 431,600 70,750Skövde 25,880 52,220 152,670 12,300Stockholm 429,450 688,260 1,842,160 327,030Sundsvall 138,110 209,000 460,000 88,000Södertälje 0 239,280 823,450 0uddevalla 20,190 35,810 77,660 1,710umeå dåva 92,660 153,000 390,500 81,890uppsala 171,410 343,800 1,134,810 0västervik 10,350 39,030 115,080 0

Total 2,292,970 4,566,810 12,196,620 1,527,600

avfall Sverige’s statistics encompass waste-to-energy plants for household waste. Most plants also accept other waste.the plants in Södertälje and kil are included despite this definition.


21

-91 -08 -07 -06 -01-96

tons

0

1

2

3

4

55,000,000

4,000,000

3,000,000

2,000,000

1,000,000

Total amount of waste treated by Waste-to-EnergyOf which household waste

PRoCeSSed waSte

0

3

6

9

12

1515,000,000

12,000,000

9,000,000

6,000,000

3,000,000

-91 -08-07-06-01-96Production Heat

MWh

eneRgy ReCoveRy

Energy recovery and emissions 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Incineration (tons) household waste 1,944,290 2,181,890 2,107,860 2,190,980 2,292,970other waste 1,243,840 1,637,440 1,991,940 2,279,710 2,273,840Total 3,188,130 3,819,330 4,099,800 4,470,690 4,566,810

Production (MWh) heat 8,548,850 10,168,190 10,270,290 12,151,270 12,196,620electricity 739,060 943,270 1,187,390 1,482,750 1,527,600Total 9,287,910 11,111,460 11,457,680 13,634,020 13,724,220

Emissions to air (tons) dust 25 39 33 24 30hCl 106 98 55 60 39Sox (So2) 340 310 175 196 154nox (no2) 1734 1904 2180 2101 2190

Emissions to air* hg (kg) 38 33 39 36 44Cd + tl (kg) 5 21 15 6 6Pb (kg) 95 77 54 51 136dioxin (g) 1 1.1 0.8 0.5 0.8 Bottom ash (tons) 485,000 550,850 598,545 649,680 693,140aPC residues (tons) 138,000 160,920 176,298 183,370 202,920 * emission values are presented according to the rules for waste incineration.


22

in 2008, 140,250 tons of household waste

was landfilled. a decrease of 46,000 tons,

24.8 percent, compared to 2007. this corre-

sponds to 15.2 kg per person. 3.0 percent of

all household waste was landfilled in 2008.

in 2008, a total of 1,670,000 tons of waste

was deposited at the Swedish landfill sites for

municipal waste, a decrease of 324,000 ton

compared to the year before.

in 1994, avfall Sverige started to collect

statistics on household waste deposited as

landfill. the amount of landfilled waste has

decreased considerably since then, and in

2003 the environmental objective, to halve

the waste going to landfills compared with

1994, was achieved.

the 31st of december 2008 much stricter

eu regulations regarding landfill took effect,

and almost half of all landfill sites for munici-

pal waste were closed. approximately 80 are

still open. 21 of these sites accept hazardous

waste, while 5 are limited to inert waste. the

landFill

closed landfill sites cover an estimated area of

25 km2, and are capped with a final cover.

every year approximately 6-8 million tons of

material is used for final covers of landfill

sites. natural material is not always available,

and in many cases, residues, such as con-

taminated soil, ashes, sludge etc., is used

instead. the estimated total cost for final cov-

ering of the landfill sites is 6 billion Sek.

during 2008, landfill gas was recovered

from 47 active sites. approximately 310 gwh

was used for energy production, of which 24

gwh was used for electricity. an additional 65

gwh of landfill gas was flared. energy is not

produced from flaring, but methane emissions

are reduced. gas produced in separate diges-

tion plants at landfill sites is presented in the

section on biological treatment.

an increasing number of landfill sites have

local treatment of the leachate. one of the

reasons for this is that several of the municipal

sewage plants that used to take care of the

leachate have higher quality standards on

sludge than before, in order to meet the

requirements for certification and so it can be

used in farming. local leachate treatment

includes biological treatment to reduce the

emissions of nutrients. leachate will however

change character in the long run, since depos-

iting of organic waste in landfills was forbidden

in 2005. an average sized landfill site, which

will still be running after the turn of the year

2008/2009, will annually treat approximately

80,000 m3 of leachate.

at modern landfill sites, waste disposal is

only part of the business conducted. they also

attend to the separation of waste materials

going to treatment, to transport on to recovery

and recycling, and to energy recovery.

Sometimes the landfill sites also serve as

temporary storage of large quantities of waste,

such as paper and glass, which fall under the

producers responsibility.


23

-08-07-06-94 -95 -96 -97 -98 -99 -00 -01 -02 -03 -04 -050

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

7,000,000

8000000tons

Quantity of waste deposited Of which household waste

landFilled waSte quantity

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

energy recovery 370,000 340,000 282,200 290,100 310,800of which electricity 25,000 20,000 20,800 22,600 23,700Flaring 50,000 70,000 60,200 52,100 65,100

eneRgy ReCoveRy at the landFill SiteS (Mwh)

dePoSited quantity 1994–2008 (tonS)

Deposited quantity of which household waste

1994 6,080,000 1,380,0001995 5,340,000 1,200,0001996 5,050,000 1,110,0001997 4,750,000 1,150,0001998 4,800,000 1,020,0001999 4,900,000 920,0002000 4,450,000 865,0002001 4,240,000 880,0002002 3,770,000 825,0002003 2,940,000 575,0002004 2,480,000 380,0002005 1,940,000 210,0002006 1,830,000 226,0002007 1,994,000 186,0002008 1,670,000 140,000

the presented figures on household waste are not completely authentic since there are fractions of actual household waste which not always can be separated from other waste.

New landfill sites which fulfill the stricter requirements are built in several places in Sweden.


24

Household waste only represents a small part of the total waste volume. 112 million ton waste was treated in Sweden in 2006 according to the official statistics, of which household waste only accounted for 4.5 million tons.


25

Collected data on waste other than household

waste is found in the official statistics pre-

sented to the eu by the Swedish environmental

Protection agency. according to the eu’s waste

Statistics directive, each member state must

present its country’s statistics once every two

years. in 2006, statistics reports were pre-

sented for the first time, presenting figures

from 2004. last year, waste statistics reports

were presented once again, then showing fig-

ures from 2006. however, the results are not

comparable, due to altered interpretations

and new methods for collection of data.

nonetheless, the figures point to increased

waste volumes in 2006 compared to 2004, for

both household waste and other waste.

in 2006, Sweden produced close to 121

million tons of non-hazardous waste and 2.8

million tons of hazardous waste. according to

the study conducted, 111.1 million tons of

non-hazardous waste and one million tons of

hazardous waste underwent treatment. these

figures include household waste. the statis-

waSte otheR than houSehold waSte

tics present waste quantities produced and

waste quantities treated, separately. there

are several reasons as to why the figures for

waste treated are smaller than the figures for

waste produced. For example, not all treat-

ment methods are reported, and neither is

internal material recycling in industries.

in 2006, 116 million tons of non-hazardous

waste was produced in the industry, of which

approximately half was mining waste. the

amount of hazardous waste produced in the

industry was 2 million tons.

26 million tons of treated non-hazardous

waste and 339,000 tons of hazardous waste

was recycled. Contaminated soil and incinera-

tion residues, which underwent treatment and

was used for covering of landfill sites, repre-

sented a large part of the recycling of hazard-

ous waste. 18,5 million tons of the non-haz-

ardous waste and 209,000 tons of hazardous

waste was treated through waste-to-energy

incineration. the figures covers all types of

waste, household waste included.

the largest waste volumes come from the min-

ing industry, followed by the wood industry and

the construction industry. 62 million tons of

mining waste, approximately 22 million tons of

wood waste and more than 8 million tons of

waste from the construction industry was pro-

duced in 2006.

the industries are responsible for managing

the waste, which is not household waste.

Sometimes they have at their disposal their

own landfill sites or the possibility of energy

recovery in incineration facilities.

waste from construction, renovation, recon-

struction or demolition of buildings, or from

more extensive garden constructions do not

fall under the responsibility of the local author-

ities to collect or handle. waste from minor

maintenance work and house repairs counts

as household waste. Some construction and

demolition waste are classified as hazardous

waste, for example asbestos and impregnated

wood, and must be treated accordingly.


26

Municipalities and producers handle the man-

agement of household waste. the municipal

costs are charged as a separate waste collec-

tion fee, and the producers’ costs as a fee

included in the price of the product. the local

councils set the municipal waste collection

fees. the producers themselves decide on the

amount of the product fee. as a rule, the waste

collection fees cover the total costs for the

municipal waste management. however, cases

of deficits are tax-funded. administration, such

as waste planning, customer service, invoicing

and information are included in the costs. the

fee must also cover the service costs at the

recycling centers for collection and handling of

bulky waste and hazardous household waste.

the rate is often based on one fixed and one

variable fee, for example on one fee for waste

collection and one for waste treatment.

according to the self cost principle in the local

government act, the municipalities’ income

from fees must not exceed the costs for the

municipal waste management.

the waste collection fee of a Swedish sin-

gle-family house is 1,980 Sek a year on aver-

age, according to data from avfall Sverige’s

statistics system, avfall web.

Many local authorities, which have intro-

duced voluntary collection of food waste, use

the fee as a means of control. For example,

households that sign up for separate collec-

tion of food waste are offered a lower fee than

waSte eConoMiCS

those that choose to continue with mixed

waste collection.

to attain a higher recycling rate, several

municipalities have introduced a fee based on

weight which, means that the households pay

per kg of waste collected, on top of the basic

fee. 27 municipalities had the weight-based fee

in 2008. in these cases, the collection vehicles

are provided with a scale and equipment to

identify each bin. the total annual cost for

weight-based fees will vary depending on the

quantity of waste left for collection.

the waste collection fee for an apartment of

70 m2 is on average 1,300 Sek, according to

an annual report submitted by avgiftsgruppen,

an organization representing tenants’ and

landlords’ associations.

the cost for waste management is on aver-

age 675 Sek per person and year, including

vat. the municipal cost for collection of waste

in bins and bags is on average 190 Sek per

person. the basic fee, at 260 Sek per person,

covers the costs for the recycling centers,

treatment of hazardous household waste,

planning, information and administration. the

statistics come from avfall web and are based

on data collected from one third of the Swedish

municipalities.

there are several means to reduce the envi-

ronmental impact of waste management, to

improve resource efficiency and to increase

recycling, either through information or with

administrative and economical means of con-

trol. examples of administrative means are

regulations and prohibitions such as emission

limit values and prohibition against landfilling

of organic waste. economical means can work

either as “carrot”, through tax reliefs and sub-

ventions, or as “stick”, through taxes and

charges. the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) is

applied.

tax on landfilled waste was introduced in

2000 as a way to reduce landfilling. the tax

was initially 250 Sek but has since then been

raised several times. Since July 1st 2006, the

landfill tax has been set at 435 Sek per ton of

waste disposed. the landfill site is liable for

taxation. on July 1st 2006 a tax on household

waste going to waste-to-energy incineration

was introduced. the tax is set based on a

model for the waste’s content of fossil materi-

al. the tax amount depends on whether the

incineration plant liable to tax produces elec-

tricity and, in that case, with what efficiency.

the incineration tax will probably be repealed

on october 1st 2010.

a treatment fee, or reception fee, is the part

of the waste management which is charged

when the waste is transported to the treat-

ment facility. the table on next page shows the

approximate charges for different types of

treatment. the charges can vary a good deal

from one facility to another.


27

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

SEK/tons

electrical efficiency

waSte inCineRation taX

SEK/tons 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

landfill 700–1200 700–1200 700–1200 700–1200 700–1200waste-to-energy 300–600 300–600 500–1000 500–1000 550–1100Biological treatment 400–1000 400–600 400–700 400–800 400–800

tReatMent Fee

landFill taX

SEK/tons

-03 -04 -05 -09-08-07-06-00 -01 -020

100

200

300

400

500


28

Major law alterations, ordinances and regula-

tions to be respected by the waste industry.

1999

the e• nvironmental Code with associated

directives and regulations.

2000

intr• oduction of Sek 250 per tonne tax on

waste taken to landfill.

dere• gulation of industrial waste.

2001

dire• ctives with regulations about landfilling.

directives about producers’ responsibility •

for waste from electric and electronic equip-

ment.

2002

tax• on waste to landfill increased to Sek

288 per ton.

waste directive with new waste list.•

landfilling ban on sorted combustible •

waste.

Sorting requirements according to § 26 of •

the refuse collection directive.

directive introduced regarding the incinera-•

tion of waste. applies directly to new facili-

ties.

2003

t• ax on waste to landfill increased to Sek

370 per ton.

waSte agenda

government proposition 2002/03:117 “a •

society with non-toxic and resource efficient

eco-cycles” published. Parliamentary

debate and vote on the proposition.

2004

Clarification of the waste holder’s responsi-•

bility introduced in chapter 15 § 5 of the

environmental Code.

Regulations and general advice about the •

handling of combustible and organic waste.

Changes to the directives regarding produc-•

ers’ responsibility for packaging and waste

paper.

2005

landfilling ban on organic waste. •

Swedish environmental objectives: the •

amount of waste to landfill, excluding min-

ing waste, must be reduced by at least 50

per cent compared with 1994. (according to

the statistics for household waste in

2003).

new directive about producers’ responsibil-•

ity for waste from electric and electronic

equipment came into force on 13 august.

Previous directive continues to apply for

light bulbs and light sources.

directive and regulation about waste incin-•

eration came into force on 28 december.

national environmental objective that the •

quantity of landfill waste, excluding mining

waste, shall reduce by at least 50 per cent

calculated from the 1994 level.

2006

e• nergy tax on household waste for incinera-

tion through energy taxation, 1 July.

tax on waste to landfill increased to Sek •

435 per ton.

new directives regarding requirements for •

receiving waste at landfill facilities, and

regulations regarding the contents in a

municipal waste plan.

new eu directive 1013/2006 regarding the •

transportation of waste came into force.

2007

guidance on the concep• t of household

waste from the Swedish environmental

Protection agency.

introduction of increased environmental •

responsibility for the practiser of work and

increased legislation on environmental

crime.

the municipalities’ opportunity to take vol-•

untary responsibility for hazardous waste

other than household waste ended on 1

July.


29

new directive regarding environmentally •

harmful activities and health protection

with new permission and reporting levels in

the appendix.

2008

a new legislation on public procurement •

takes effect on January 1st.

all open landfill sites must follow ordinanc-•

es and regulations for landfilling.

introducing demands on pre-consented col-•

lection systems for packaging and certain

types of paper such as newspaper, and on

authorization requirements to run such col-

lection systems professionally. this law

alteration is proposed to come into force on

September 1st.

a new Framework directive for waste from •

the european Community, to be implement-

ed in Sweden by 2010, at the earliest.

a new eC regulation with directives regard-•

ing export to certain countries for recovery

of waste is implemented.

a new eC regulation with directives regard-•

ing an embargo on exports of mercury etc.

from the eu is implemented.

2009

a new regulation regarding batteries takes •

effect on January 1st.

a new regulation on management of waste •

from extractive industries. the directives

concern waste from prospecting, extrac-

tion, processing activities, or storage of

mineral resources, and waste from quarry

activities.

2010

a national target to recycle at least 35 per-•

cent of all food waste from households,

restaurants, large-scale kitchens and stores

through biological treatment.

a national target to recover at least 50 per-•

cent of the household waste through materi-

al recycling, including biological treatment.

a national target to recycle all food waste •

and equivalent waste from food industries

etc. through biological treatment.

the incineration tax on household waste will •

be repealed on September 1st.

the revised eu Framework directive shall •

be implemented by december 10th, at the

latest.

2013

By december 12• th, at the latest, the member

states of the eu shall have established waste

prevention programs. the programs shall

either be part of waste plans in accordance

with the directive or of other environment

policy programs. the requirements are laid

down in the waste Framework directive

2008/98/eC.

2015

a national target to treat at least 60 percent •

of the phosphorus pollution in effluent, so it

can be of use on productive lands, of which

at least half shall be used on arable land.

the eu member states shall have estab-•

lished separate collection of at least paper,

metal and glass provided that it is practica-

ble from a technological, environmental and

economical point of view. the requirements

are laid down in the waste Framework

directive.

2020

the eu has the objective of reducing emis-•

sions of greenhouse gas by 20 percent by

2020, compared to the emissions rates in

1990. the Swedish Parliament has called

for a reduction of Sweden’s emissions by 40

percent, compared to 1990. the overall

target is to produce a total of 20 percent

renewable energy within the eu and that 10

percent of all vehicle fuel to be produced

from renewable resources.

the waste Frame directive includes new •

recycling objectives for the member states.

By 2020, 50 percent of all paper, metal,

plastic and glass household waste and

similar waste be reused or recovered. For

construction and demolition waste the tar-

get is 70 percent.


30

gloSSaRy

aeRoBiC tReatMent

treatment of bio waste with access to/supply

of oxygen, e.g. composting

anaeRoBiC digeStion

anaerobic (oxygen-free) treatment method for

bio waste where biogas is formed (compare

composting)

anaeRoBiC tReatMent

treatment of bio waste without access to/sup-

ply of oxygen, e.g. digestion

aSh

See flue gas cleaning remains and slag

Baling

Packing together and possibly tying into bales,

e.g. before intermediary storage or in order to

have easier to handle material

Bat Best available technology

guiding principle for which system should be

chosen based from an environmental per-

spective, with respect to what may be consid-

ered economically reasonable (See chapter 2

of the environmental Code)

BioCell

demarcated area, e.g. at landfill sites where

bio waste breaks down in an anoxic process

and landfill gas is produced

BiodegRadaBle waSte

waste that is suitable for composting or diges-

tion

BiogaS

gas that is formed during anoxic breakdown of

organic material, mainly consists of methane

and carbon dioxide


Recycling of humus, nourishment and/or ener-

gy from bio waste through aerobic or anaero-

bic treatment

BiologiCal waSte

See bio waste

BiowaSte

waste that is easily broken down biologically.

i.e. the proportion of organic waste that in a

limited time may be broken down in biological

processes. e.g. food and garden waste (com-

pare organic waste)

Bulky waSte

waste that is so heavy or bulky that it is not

suitable for collection in bags or containers

(see nfS 2004:4 § 4 )

ColleCtion

Collection, sorting or mixing of waste for further

transportation (see the waste directive § 4)

CoMBuStiBle waSte

waste that burns without additional energy

following the start of the incineration process

(See the waste directive § 4)

CoMPaCtoR

vehicle that is used for breaking up and pack-

ing waste (minimising the volume of waste) at

a landfill site

CoMPoSting

Biological treatment where biological waste is

broken down with the use of oxygen (compare

digestion)

ConStRuCtion and deMolition waSte

waste that arises through new construction,

extensions, renovation, reconstruction or the

demolition of buildings


31

CoveRing

Material at landfill, often in several layers, in

order to drain leachate, prevent rain water

seeping down and sometimes to prevent

waste from blowing away. intermediate cover-

ing is laid between layers of waste, final cover-

ing is a thicker layer over, sometimes with a

final layer of foliage planted.

CuRB-Side ColleCtion

Collection at or in direct connection to the

property where the waste is produced

dioXin

Collective name for 210 chloro-organic com-

pounds, 17 of which are extremely toxic and

accumulate in fatty tissue

diSPoSal

those procedures that are stated in appendix

5 to the waste directive, including landfill

eneRgy ReCoveRy

the safeguarding of electricity/heating that is

generated in a facility for waste incineration or

of gas from organic substances, e.g. in a

digestion facility at a landfill

Flue gaS tReatMent ReSidueS

Collective name for a fine-grained part that

occurs when treating flue gases and consists

of furnace ash, fly ash, filter cake from pipe

filters as well as sludge. Flue gas treatment

residues are dumped as hazardous waste.

Food waSte/CateRing waSte

Food waste from the food chain (households,

restaurants, large kitchens, shops and the

food industry) which for commercial or other

reasons has not been consumed

hazaRdouS waSte

waste that has one or several hazardous prop-

erties, e.g. toxic, carcinogenic, explosive or

inflammable. Formally viewed as waste that is

marked with a * in appendix 2 or other waste

that has one or several hazardous properties

according to appendix 3 of the waste directive

(see the waste directive § 4)

houSehold waSte

waste that comes from households and waste

from other activities whose type or composi-

tion is similar to the waste produced by house-

holds (see the environmental Code, chapter

15 § 2)

induStRial waSte

waste that is produced through an industrial

processes

ineRt waSte

waste that does not undergo any essential

physical, chemical or biological changes when

in contact with other waste, e.g. stone and

gravel (See the landfill directive § 3)

inSPeCtion CheCk

inspection from the authorities of the activity

conducted by certain operations, particularly

of an environmentally hazardous nature

landFill

Controlled storage of waste that is not intend-

ed for removal (see the landfill directive § 5 )

landFill gaS

Biogas that is formed at a landfill site

leaChate

liquid that runs through, pushes out or is con-

tained in waste during landfill, intermediary

storage or transportation

lineR

Sealing at landfill, often consisting of several

layers, for preventing precipitation from seep-

ing into the landfill or collecting leachate

MateRial ReCyCling

See recycling

non-CoMBuStiBle waSte

waste that cannot be incinerated even if

energy is added, e.g. stones, metal

oRganiC waSte

waste that contains organic carbon, e.g. bio-

logical waste and plastic waste (compare bio

waste) (see the waste directive § 4)


32

PRoduCeR

those who professionally produce, transport

into Sweden or sell a product or packaging

(goods producer) or those who in their profes-

sional activities produce waste that requires

specific refuse collection or environmental

action (waste producers) (see the

environmental Code chapter 15 § 4)

PRoduCeRS’ ReSPonSiBility

Producers’ responsibility for certain identified

products throughout their entire lifecycle

including design, production and recovery as

waste

ReuSe

use of a discarded product without processing

beforehand

ReCoveRy

use, treatment or removal of materials, food-

stuffs of energy from waste (see recovery

procedure, appendix 4 to the waste directive)

ReCyCling CentRe (ÅvC)

larger manned facility for receiving bulky

waste, garden waste, electrical and hazardous

waste, etc.

waSte FRoM eleCtRiC and

eleCtRoniC equiPMent, weee

waste from electric and electronic equipment

including all components, equipment parts

and consumables that have had an electrical

or electronic function. included in producers’

responsibility (See waste directive § 6 and

the producers’ responsibility directive for

waste from electric and electronic equipment

2005:209)

waSte in BinS and BagS

the proportion of household waste that is put

into bags or bins, in other words waste exclud-

ing that for material recycling, bulky waste,

electrical and hazardous waste

white goodS

normally larger electrical household products,

e.g. dishwashers, washing machines and

refrigerators. there is no absolute definition.

See also waste from electric and electronic

equipment.

Sources: avfall Sverige, Swedish waste terminology (1998, afr-rapport 217), 1000 terms in Solid waste Management (1992, iSwa) as well as the Swedish code of statutes and the Swedish environmental Protection agency’s code of statutes.

ReCyCling Station (ÅvS)

Smaller unmanned facility for receiving pack-

aging and waste paper

Slag, BottoM aSh

Material which is neither combustible nor

becomes volatized when incinerated, e.g.

glass, porcelain, scrap iron and stone-like

material (gravel etc.). Bottom ash is obtained

after larger objects and metal remains are

removed and the material has been sifted.

SouRCe SePaRation

Sorting or separation of waste in the same

place that the waste was produced, e.g. in the

household

unManned hazaRdouS

waSte ColleCtion Point

Smaller, unmanned facility for receiving haz-

ardous household waste, often located at a

recycling centre or placed alongside a service

station

waSte

every object, chemical or substance that the

owner is disposing of, intends to dispose of or

is obliged to dispose of (see chapter 15 § 1 of

the environmental Code)


33

avfall Sverige – Swedish waste Management

is the Swedish interest organization within the

waste management and recycling sector. our

members are local authorities and local

authorities’ associations. Private companies

are associated members. in total, we have

approximately 400 members.

avfall Sverige’s primary task is to represent

and develop our members by creating net-

works, provide information, and to influence

decision makers.

aBout avFall SveRige – SwediSh waSte ManageMent

avfall Sverige is striving to promote the

development of environmentally sound and

sustainable waste management based on a

manifest responsibility to society.

avfall Sverige’s job is to look after our mem-

bers’ interests in waste management, a task

which encompasses separation, collection,

recycling, waste disposal, as well as issues

regarding administration, economy, informa-

tion, planning, training, and development.

avfall Sverige is Sweden’s largest environ-

mental movement. our members make

Swedish waste management work, with every-

thing that means, from collection to recycling.

we do it on behalf of the society: environmen-

tally safe, sustainable and on long term. we

are 12,000 people working together with

Swedish households and companies – togeth-

er, we perform one of Sweden’s most impor-

tant jobs!


34

weine wiqvist

Managing director

direct tel. no. +46 (0)40-35 66 05

Mobile no. +46 708-93 15 99

[email protected]

Jessica Christiansen

hazardous waste, weee

direct tel. no. +46 (0)40-35 66 18

Mobile no. +46 706-69 36 18

[email protected]

anna-Carin gripwall

director of Communications

direct tel. no. +46 (0)40-35 66 08

Mobile no. +46 70-662 61 28

[email protected]

anders hedenstedt

landfill, waste-to-energy

direct tel. no. +46 (0)40-35 66 24

Mobile no. +46 709-49 49 57

[email protected]

hanna hellström

Biological waste treatment: composting,

digestion, biogas

direct tel. no. +46 (0)40-35 66 23

Mobile no. +46 70-73 68 249

[email protected]

karin lindskog Johansson

Public Relations, batteries

direct tel. no. +46 (0)40-35 66 12

[email protected]

StaFFinge Johansson

waste-to-energy

direct tel. no. +46 (0)40-35 66 16

Mobile no. +46 739-88 33 99

[email protected]

karin Jönsson

editor of avfall och Miljö

direct tel. no. +46 (0)40-35 66 17

[email protected]

Sven lundgren

legal Counsellor

direct tel. no. +46 (0)40-35 66 09

Mobile no. +46 708-35 66 55

[email protected]

Monica lövström

Counsellor, Public Contacts

Mobile no. +46 705-35 66 42

[email protected]

ewa koverman

Finance assistant, invoicing

direct tel. no. +46 (0)40-35 66 04

[email protected]

Petra kvist Carlsson

Courses, conferences

direct tel. no. +46 (0)40-35 66 03

Mobile no. +46 708-81 96 36

[email protected]

Jon nilsson-djerf

Collection, transport, separation,

household and industrial waste

direct tel. no. +46 (0)40-35 66 14

Mobile no. +46 70-526 35 27

[email protected]

Per nilzén

development

direct tel. no. +46 (0)40-35 66 13

Mobile no. +46 70-523 24 04

[email protected]

ingegerd Svantesson

Public Relations, web editor

direct tel. no. +46 (0)40-35 66 07

Mobile no. +46 73-703 70 24

[email protected]

Pernilla Svensson

administrator/Public Relations

direct tel. no. +46 (0)40-35 66 11

[email protected]

Jenny westin

Statistics, public procurement, waste fees

direct tel. no. +46 (0)40-35 66 15

Mobile no. +46 70-518 40 45

[email protected]

Peter westling

Finance/administration Manager

direct tel. no. +46 (0)40-35 66 06

[email protected]


35

address

tel. int

Fax int

e-mail

Prostgatan 2, S-211 25 Malmö, Sweden

+ 46 40 356600 (switchboard)

+ 46 40-356626

[email protected]

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