Swedish 2018Waste Management
1 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Swedish Waste Management
2018Beginning in 2019, we are changing the year of the Swedish Waste Management publication so that Contents it reflects the year that the figures represent. There will therefore be two publications called Swedish Waste Management 2018.
Preface ...... 3
How Swedish waste management works ...... 4-5
Waste quantities 2017 ...... 6-9
Prevention and reuse ...... 10-11
Collection and transport ...... 12-14
Sludge and latrine waste...... 15-16
Hazardous waste ...... 17
WEEE and batteries ...... 18-19
Material recycling ...... 20-23
Biological treatment ...... 24-27
Energy recovery ...... 28-31
Landfill ...... 32-35
Customers, charges and costs ...... 36-37
Total quantity of waste generated in Sweden ...... 38
About Avfall Sverige ...... 39
Administrative office ...... 39
2 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Preface
Even though we are in an economic boom and the GDP has In the Government inquiry “From value chain to value cycle” increased by 2.4 percent, this year's statistics show that (2017, the proposal was made for the municipality’s waste waste quantities decreased by seven kilograms per person in prevention role to be clarified and for the municipalities to 2018. At the same time, the volume of collected food waste fund measures to prevent household waste through the waste increased by 4 percent, while bulky waste decreased by the collection charge. It was also proposed that the municipalities same amount. All of this is encouraging! should be given greater responsibility to prevent waste in Together with the municipalities, Avfall Sverige has their own operations. Avfall Sverige welcomes the proposals adopted what is known as the 25/25 target, which means and hopes that the Government will make them a reality. that the total amount of food and residual waste will be Swedish municipalities play a key role in reducing the reduced by 25 percent per person (compared with 2015) by amount of waste and the quantity of hazardous substances in 2025. Adoption of this target is voluntary for all the waste that is produced. municipalities. In 2015, the average volume of food and Swedish Waste Management 2018 is intended for actors residual waste was 225 kilograms per person nationally. 25 in the waste management industry, decision makers, percent entails a reduction of 56 kg on average, leaving a authorities, educational institutions, the media and all other food and residual waste volume of 169 kg. By 2018, the stakeholders. Using text, diagrams and tables we describe volume of food and residual waste decreased by 4 percent, 9 the management of household waste in Sweden. Statistics kg/per person, to 216 kg. Much more needs to be done to are taken from the Avfall Sverige web-based statistics enable us to reach the target together by 2025. system, Avfall Web, and from producer organisations. Our target, together with the new ordinances for packaging, recyclable paper and food waste, will hopefully lead to a sharp reduction of our waste quantities as we continue the journey towards our vision of “Zero Waste”. Malmö, July 2019 The long-term goals are for growth not to generate more waste, and for Sweden to climb up higher in the waste hierarchy in a measurable manner. These goals are monitored via waste quantities, waste indicators and solid Tony Clark, Managing Director waste analyses, which are reported, inter alia, in this Avfall Sverige publication.
3 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 How Swedish waste management works
Preventing the creation of waste is the top step in the waste There are different methods for treating waste2: hierarchy. It is the priority of both Swedish and European »» material recycling waste legislation. »» biological treatment »» energy recovery The waste hierarchy priority is: »» landfill. »» waste prevention »» reuse Hazardous waste can be treated using one or more of these »» material recycling and biological treatment methods, depending on its properties. Waste that may »» other recycling, e.g. energy recovery contain hazardous substances should not be recycled, but »» disposal, e.g. to landfill. rather phased out of the eco-cycle. Recycling means that the waste will be used as Exceptions to this hierarchy may be necessary for technical, replacement for another material. Preparation for reuse is financial or environmental reasons. also a recovery operation. According to the definition, According to the definition in the Swedish Environmental preparation for reuse means inspecting, cleaning or Code1, waste is any matter or object that the bearer disposes repairing any item that is waste so it can be reused without of, intends to dispose of, or is obligated to dispose of. further treatment. Material recovery saves energy and natural resources, thereby reducing environmental impact. Biological Waste hierarchy treatment closes the eco-cycle and returns nutrients to the soil. Energy recovery means that the energy obtained from processing waste is harnessed to provide both district Reduce heating and electricity. Landfill entails waste being stored in Reuse a manner that is safe in the long-term. Recycle
Energy recovery Landfill
1 Swedish Environmental Code (1998:808) 2 Avfall Sverige Report 2017:23 Right item to the right treatment. Material recycling, waste incineration and the detoxification of society
4 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF MUNICIPALITIES A producer is one who imports, produces or otherwise puts a Under the Swedish Environmental Code, each municipality is product on the market. Producers are responsible for responsible for ensuring that household waste3 within the collecting and disposing of end-of-life products, usually municipality is transported and recycled or disposed of. The through use of material companies created for different term household waste refers to waste that comes from product responsibility. This means that there must be suitable households and equivalent waste from businesses such as collection systems and treatment methods for recycling. restaurants, shops, offices, etc. Producer responsibility is also intended to encourage Every municipality is required by law to have its own producers to develop products that are more economic with waste and sanitation ordinance which consists of a waste resources, easier to recycle and do not contain substances plan and regulations for waste management4. Municipalities which are harmful to the environment. can collaborate and draw up common regional waste plans. In their information about waste, the municipalities are The municipalities are working at increasing rates to also obliged to inform about the responsibility of producers. promote the prevention and reuse of waste. Preparation for This is done, inter alia, through the national waste portal reuse of household waste is also part of the municipal sopor.nu, which is a collaboration between Avfall Sverige and responsibility. The municipalities also have a duty to inform several other actors. about waste management and about the content of the waste plans. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF HOUSEHOLDS Households are responsible for separating and depositing THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PRODUCERS waste at available collection points. They must also follow Sweden has producer responsibility for: the municipality's rules for waste management. »» recyclable paper »» packaging THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BUSINESSES »» waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) Businesses are responsible for disposing of non-household »» tyres waste and waste that is not covered by producer responsibility. »» cars »» batteries ORGANISATION FORMS »» pharmaceuticals. The municipalities must choose themselves how waste management is organised. Local government autonomy is part of the Swedish Constitution.
3 Avfall Sverige Guide #4: The meaning of “household waste” as a term 4 Avfall Sverige Report 2017:01 Basis for the waste disposal regulations in the Municipal Waste Regulation Ordinance
5 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 There are several organisational structures available: Service providers for the collection of food and »» self-administration residual waste »» municipal enterprise, owned independently or jointly with other municipalities »» joint board »» municipal association.
The Riksdag has decided to introduce a general opportunity for contractual cooperation in the Local Government Act, increasing opportunities for municipalities to organise and cooperate with other municipalities in the manner deemed most appropriate. The waste sector has a long history of collaboration between Percentage of municipalities municipalities. As the sector has faced greater and greater Solely private contractors 63% demands, the collaborations have grown in scope and have Solely in-house 33% 5 undergone development and expansion . Collaboration Combination of in-house and contractors 4% between municipalities is a natural operational structure, pro- viding the greatest possible environmental and social benefit, Organisation of waste management 2018 managing waste cost effectively and ensuring the requisite competencies are in place. Municipalities can also cooperate in relation to specific issues, such as joint procurement.
PRIVATE CONTRACTORS OR IN-HOUSE In 64 percent of the country's municipalities, the collection of food and residual waste is primarily carried out by private contractors. 33 percent of municipalities carry out collection themselves, and the others use a combination of private Municipalities contractors and in-house collection services. There has been Breakdown of responsibilities Number Percentage a clear increase in the number of municipalities carrying out collection in-house as the proportion was 25 percent in Municipal self-administration 114 39% 2014. This follows an international trend and stems from Municipal association 47 16% the municipalities' desire for greater flexibility and control. Joint boards 7 3% Waste treatment is either undertaken by the municipalities Municipal enterprise, wholly-owned 52 18% themselves, or by an external contractor, which can be a Municipal enterprise, partially-owned 70 24% different municipality, a different municipal enterprise or a There are also regional companies that do not officially take over the private company. The distribution between the various municipal waste responsibility, e.g. Sysav, Renova and Sörab. structures depends on the method of waste treatment. A total of 30 municipalities cooperate in such regional companies.
READ MORE: 5 Avfall Sverige Report 2016:24 Municipal collaboration in the waste sector – Avfall Sverige Report 2018:27 Household waste in figures experiences and trends – municipal and county statistics 2017
6 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Waste quantities 2018
In 2018, the quantity of household waste treated was Waste trend 2014-2018 4,771,450 tonnes. For the population as a whole, every Millions of tonnes Swede produced 466 kg of household waste in 2018, 5 compared to 473 kg per person in 2017. 34.3 percent, 1,635,470 tonnes, went to material 4 recycling, including recycling of construction materials. This corresponds to 160 kg/person and is a slight decrease 3 compared with 2017. One reason is a reduction in the volume of garden waste because of the hot, dry summer. 741,110 tonnes went to biological treatment. This corresponds to 72 kg per person. This is largely unchanged since 2017. This means that 15.5 percent of household waste 1 underwent biological treatment in 2018. Energy recovery dropped by 2 percent to 2,362,160 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 tonnes or 231 kg/person. 49.5 percent of household waste went to energy recovery in 2018. Material recycling Biological treatment Recycling of Energy recovery The amount of household waste going to landfill construction materials Landfill increased by 38 percent to 32,710 tonnes compared to 2017, or 3 kg/person. Landfill accounts for 0.7 percent of the total amount of the waste managed.
The household waste statistics are primarily taken from the HOUSEHOLD WASTE THROUGHOUT THE EU Avfall Sverige's web-based statistics system, Avfall Web, and It is difficult to compare statistics within the EU because the from producer organisations. Avfall Web is a tool used by the municipalities for development, benchmarking and statistics. countries apply different concepts and measurement methods. Municipalities and treatment plants report information on The latest statistics, which are for 2017, show that household waste management and the quantities collected and treated. waste quantities in the EU amounted to 487 kg per person for This information then forms the basis of national household the population as a whole. 47 percent of the household waste waste statistics. was treated through material recycling, including biological treatment. In total, 28 percent went to energy recovery and 24 percent was sent to landfill within the EU6. Once the EU Waste Directive is implemented, better definitions will gradually lead to clearer and more accurate statistics.
6 All EU statistics are available at http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat
7 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Overview 1975-2018 Collected quantities vs quantities actually treated 2018 (kg/person) 5 5 4 3 15 1 1
5 19 5 1994 5 1 15 -1
Material recycling includes recycling of construction materials
Movement indicators F1 and F2 5
4 The above figure shows the volumes that enter the treatment process and the volumes that are actually treated for different treatment 3 methods. There is a clear difference between the volumes collected for each treatment method, which are often reported in the statistics, and how the waste volumes are actually treated. For material recycling and biological treatment through anaerobic digestion, the difference between volumes collected and volumes treated is made up of rejects. It 1 is waste that is primarily sent to energy recovery. For material recycling, some waste from energy recovery is added since metals from - 5 -94 - -1 -15 -1 the bottom ash are sorted out for material recycling. The waste volumes actually sent to landfill in recent years are greater than the volumes 1 collected for landfill. One reason for this is fly ash from energy recovery that is sent to landfill.
Avfall Sverige has developed indicators for resource-efficient waste management and a tool for monitoring development and work with Avfall Sverige's “Zero Waste” vision. Movement indicator F1 shows the movement along the waste hierarchy. The indicator is calculated based on the actual quantity treated on each level and not the amount collected. There has been steady movement up the hierarchy since the mid-1970s, but we have still not reached the halfway mark. Indicator F2 also takes into account the change in the total amount of household waste generated. All quantities over the quantities from 1994 lower the position value with the same value as prevented waste raises the position value.
8 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Treated volumes of household waste 2014-2018 (tonnes) 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Material recycling 1,442,780 1,441,570 1,457,890 1,452,010 1,489,700 Recycling of construction materials 175,150 210,730 156,830 165,200 145,770 Biological treatment 713,110 728,570 757,480 741,280 741,110 Energy recovery 2,148,640 2,284,210 2,262,610 2,400,440 2,362,160 Landfill 32,900 38,300 31,000 23,650 32,710 Total volume treated 4,512,580 4,703,380 4,665,810 4,782,580 4,771,450
Treated volumes of household waste 2014-2018 (kg/person) 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Material recycling 148 146 146 144 146 Recycling of construction materials 18 21 16 16 14 Biological treatment 73 74 76 73 72 Energy recovery 221 232 226 237 231 Landfill 3 4 3 2 3 Total volume treated 463 478 467 473 466
Treated volumes of household waste 2014-2018 (%) 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Material recycling 32.0 30.6 31.2 30.4 31.2 Recycling of construction materials 3.9 4.5 3.4 3.5 3.1 Biological treatment 15.8 15.5 16.2 15.5 15.5 Energy recovery 47.6 48.6 48.5 50.2 49.5 Landfill 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.7
Collected volumes of food waste, residual waste, and bulky waste 2014–2018 (tonnes) 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Food and residual waste 2,221,720 2,221,280 2,240,690 2,213,540 2,214,320 of which food waste 318,850 336,940 358,790 373,100 389,810 Bulky waste 1,719,180 1,773,930 1,725,670 1,760,140 1,685,670
Collected volumes of food waste, residual waste, and bulky waste 2014–2018 (kg/person) 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Food and residual waste 228 225 224 219 216 of which food waste 33 34 36 37 38 Bulky waste 176 180 173 174 165
Hazardous waste is included under material recycling or energy recovery depending on the recycling method. The term “waste in bins and bags” has been replaced with the term “food and residual waste”, which consists of both combustible household waste and source-separated food waste.
9 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Prevention and reuse
Preventing the creation of waste is the first step in the waste TOOLS FOR PREVENTION hierarchy. It is the priority of both Swedish and European Avfall Sverige is continuously striving to develop tools to waste legislation. All EU member states must have national support municipalities in their efforts to prevent waste. One programmes to both reduce the amount of waste and reduce such tool is a work method that involves working with waste the amount of hazardous substances in the waste. prevention in a structured manner within a municipal organisation. The method has been tested and has resulted PREVENTING WASTE LEADS TO THE in a reduction in both waste volumes and costs. The work GREATEST ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT method is described in a handbook6. Preventing waste means both reducing waste volumes and Another tool is the “Miljönär” label, which was developed reducing the amount of hazardous substances in the waste, by Avfall Sverige and is used by the municipalities to inspire which must occur during the production stage. The sustainable consumption. The label aims to draw attention municipalities play an important role in this work, but to organisations that make it possible for the public to manufacturers and producers must also give consideration repair, share or reuse, or to reduce waste in any other way. to prevention when designing the products. The website, miljönär.se, contains a map marking all of the Miljönär-labelled organisations in the country and provides 25/25 TARGET tips on how to reduce waste volumes. Avfall Sverige has adopted a new target: by 2025, the total Avfall Sverige is also focusing on “invisible waste”, i.e. volume of food and residual waste shall be decreased by 25 waste that occurs at the production stage and the consumer percent per person compared with 2015. We call this our does not see. The volume of this waste is often significantly 25/25 target. The purpose of the target is to enable us to larger than the actual product when it becomes waste. For climb up the waste hierarchy more quickly. Adoption of this example, a mobile phone, which weighs about 200 grams, target is voluntary for all municipalities. In 2015, the generates 86 kg of waste in the production stage. Expanding average volume of food and residual waste was 225 waste prevention to the production stage will lead to kilograms per person nationally. 25 percent entails a significant environmental benefits. reduction of 56 kg on average, leaving a food and residual Since 2009, Avfall Sverige has been the national waste volume of 169 kg. By 2018, the coordinator of the EU project "European Week for Waste volume of food and residual waste Reduction", which is also supported by the Swedish decreased by 4 percent, 9 kg/per Environmental Protection Agency. The project runs for one person, to 216 kg. week in November, when activities aimed at reducing the amount of waste and the quantity of hazardous substances in waste are arranged all over Europe. This campaign can also be used by the municipalities in their work to reduce waste. Information on the project is available at avfallsverige.se and www.ewwr.eu.
6 Avfall Sverige Report 2017:17 Handbook for preventing waste in the municipality – Methods and inspiration
10 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 There are several ways to work with waste prevention in a Collected material for reuse waste plan. Some municipalities choose to only have general 2014–2018, tonnes goals, while others have measurable targets and specify concrete actions. Several examples of this have been 15 compiled in a report7, which can also be used in waste
prevention work. 1
REUSE 9 Reuse is defined as a measure that involves a product or 6 component that is not waste being used again for the same
purpose as it was originally intended. Preparing for reuse 3 involves waste management that applies to inspection, cleaning or repair to enable products or components 14 15 16 1 1 submitted as waste to be reused. Collection for reuse has increased at recycling centres in recent years, and it is an issue that municipalities are - . working actively with. Today, just under 60 percent of the country's recycling centres have simpler means for accepting The diagram shows the volumes that the municipality itself, or in materials for reuse, such as clothes and furniture, often in cooperation with reuse operators, collected at the recycling centre/ collaboration with aid organisations that sell or donate the recycling park, etc. It is nowhere near providing a complete picture of material. There are also recycling centres with recycling the volumes handled for reuse in the community. parks that have expanded operations, such as repairs and sales. Several municipalities have plans to develop their recycling centre to a centre for repair, rental, borrowing, READ MORE: 8 Avfall Sverige Report 2017:38 Communication support for prevention coaches and exchanging and sharing activities . Avfall Sverige Report 2018:06 Prevention of waste in public procurement To facilitate the prevention and reuse work of the Avfall Sverige Report 2018:17 Sharing gadgets, space, car and time – Sharing economy in the municipalities municipalities, Avfall Sverige has published a guide that Avfall Sverige Report 2018:18 Sharing gadgets, space, car and time – A guide explains the legal requirements9. to a sharing economy in the municipalities Avfall Sverige Report 2018:29 Potential for increased reuse – a case study of recycling centres Avfall Sverige Report 2018:30 Measurement of food waste – a preliminary study Avfall Sverige Report 2019:08 Results and experiences from use of Avfall Sverige’s waste prevention method – Top step and other projects Second hand In the autumn of 2019, good examples of reuse activities will be published on Approximately 26,800 the infobase at avfallsverige.se tonnes of materials and textiles were collected for + 98% reuse in 2018. since 2014
7 Avfall Sverige Report 2016:19 Waste prevention work in municipal waste plans 8 Avfall Sverige Report 2017:14 General information about and experiences from municipal reuse centres 9 Avfall Sverige Guide #9: Legal requirements for prevention and reuse
11 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Collection and transport
2,214,320 tonnes, The volume of collected food and residual waste decreased by 1 percent to kg/person 2,214,320 tonnes, 216 kg/person, 216 compared with 2017.
The volume of food waste collected increased by 4 percent Different methods are used in collection from single-family to 389,810 tonnes. In 2018, 238 of the country's 290 houses. One method is the four-compartment system, where municipalities had separate collection of source-separated the property has two large bins with four compartments food waste. each (eight fractions in total), but there are also variants There are a number of different systems for collecting and with different numbers of compartments in the bins. transporting household waste. Household food and residual Another system is the collection of fractions in different waste can be collected either as a mixed fraction for energy coloured bags, which are then sorted optically. recovery or in separate fractions – one for food waste and At present, over 50 percent of apartment blocks have one for combustible waste. The waste is then usually kerbside collection of packaging and newspaper where the collected in two separate bins. fractions are collected in separate bins or underground Mixed combustible residual waste from single-family containers. Here too, you can find collection with different houses is generally collected in 190 litre bins that are coloured bags for different fractions, followed by optical emptied every fortnight. There are also a number of sorting. different bin sizes emptied at different intervals. Waste from A few municipalities are currently conducting a trial with apartment blocks is usually collected on a weekly basis. dual-stream collection. In such case, the household has 2 To achieve higher levels of material recycling, kerbside two-compartment bins, one for food and residual waste and collection of packaging and newspapers from households is one for plastics and “all paper” (i.e. paper packaging and being implemented.10 This is also the intention of the new recyclable paper mixed). Both systems are examples showing ordinance amendments11 for packaging and recyclable that kerbside collection is on the rise, and that a growing paper. Kerbside collection shall be expanded and be the number of different solutions are being implemented.12 primary collection method to increase material recycling.
10 Avfall Sverige Report 2017:22 Basis for decision making on introduction of new collection systems. Mapping and analysis. 11 Read more about the new ordinances in Avfall Sverige Guide #21 2018 packaging and recyclable paper ordinances and requirements for collection of food waste from households 12 Avfall Sverige Report 2018:11 Kerbside collection in an urban environment
12 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 60 PERCENT INCORRECTLY SORTED Both of these systems are on the increase, particularly in the Over 60 percent of the contents of household rubbish bags cities and in newly built areas. In addition to advantages could be recycled13. This can be food waste, packaging and related to aesthetics and design, they do not require any recyclable paper. Half a percent of the contents of the rubbish heavy manual handling during emptying. bag consists of hazardous waste, batteries and WEEE. Vacuum waste collection is a fully automated system which reduces the need for transports, particularly in residential VEHICLES AND FUEL areas. There are two kinds of vacuum waste collection Rear-loading vehicles are still the most predominant waste systems, stationary and mobile. The vacuum waste collection vehicles, but side-loading vehicles are also collection system collects waste pneumatically in an common. The proportion of multi-compartment vehicles is automated vacuum system. It is then transported through increasing as a growing number of municipalities transition underground tubes which connect the waste drop chutes to to kerbside collection in multi-compartment bins. collection sites where the waste is collected. The choice of fuel can be controlled by the requirements Underground containers is another collection system on the municipality sets during procurement. On average, the rise throughout the country. Positioning the containers biogas represents 37 percent of the volumes consumed. under ground reduces the need for space at street level. The Biogas is a concrete example of the eco-cycle. Food waste is temperature underground is relatively low, which prevents collected and undergoes anaerobic digestion to produce odours. The containers are emptied using a vehicle with biogas and digestate. In recent years, there has been a clear loader crane. shift from fossil diesel to various forms of biodiesel, such as There are also underground containers that can be HVO, which is a synthetic diesel made from e.g. emptied using a front loader vehicle. Because underground slaughterhouse or grain waste. containers hold larger volumes, the number of trips can be Hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles have great reduced. potential for the waste industry and are being tested here and there, albeit on a smaller scale. In addition to the RECYCLING CENTRES environmental benefits, electric vehicles also significantly At the manned municipal recycling centres, households can reduce noise levels during operation and emptying. hand in bulky waste, garden waste, WEEE and hazardous Through procurement, municipalities can impose waste. Bulky waste is household waste that is too heavy, too requirements on the adaptation of waste bins and vehicles bulky or otherwise inappropriate for collection in bags or bins. for health and safety at work. The quantity of bulky waste and hazardous waste dropped off at recycling centres has increased over quite a few years. DEVELOPMENT OF THE COLLECTION SYSTEM Many municipalities have therefore adapted and modern- Waste collection previously meant heavy lifting and many ised their recycling centres. When doing so, great focus was work-related injuries, but today bags have been replaced by placed on logistics and working environment. However, bins or other types of containers, providing a better working there was a decrease in the amount of bulky waste in 2018. environment. In several places in the country, there are unmanned In many places, manual waste handling has been replaced recycling centres where households can leave their waste. In by new technology and automated systems such as vacuum order to access these recycling centres, the visitor must have waste collection and underground container systems. completed a short training programme in sorting.
13 Avfall Sverige Report 2016:28 What do households put in their waste bins?
13 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Mobile recycling centres are also common. These are RECYCLING STATIONS manned mobile centres that accept, among other things, The producer system through FTI (Förpacknings- och hazardous waste, some bulky waste and usually also WEEE. Tidningsinsamlingen), with 5,800 unmanned recycling A number of municipalities are also conducting trials with stations for handling packaging and newspaper, is designed neighbourhood recycling centres. to cover the entire country. Collection systems should be The recycling centres also handle hazardous household based on consultation between the producers and waste with the risks that this can involve when the waste is municipalities. The recycling stations have separate received, sorted and transported. In order to create a safe containers for newspaper and various packaging materials. environment for visitors and staff continuous occupational health and safety work is undertaken on risk assessment, COLLECTION OF COOKING OIL the correct protective gear and secure premises for handling There are municipalities that collect source-separated the hazardous waste. cooking oil, mainly to reduce operating problems and Many of Sweden’s recycling centres have been greatly blockages in drainage systems, but cooking oil can also be affected by thefts and break-ins14. Personnel have also been recycled or reused. There are different methods for threatened by visitors. Many of the larger, newly-built collecting and treating the oil15. One system is that recycling centres have therefore installed various technical households pour cooking oil into sealed containers that they security solutions, such as electric fences or surveillance then turn it in at a recycling centre. An alternative is for the cameras. Some have employed security firms during containers of cooking oil to be collected with combustible particularly vulnerable periods. waste and go to energy recovery. There are various recovery Several municipalities have also introduced a barrier and treatment options for the source-separated and system at their recycling centres. This improves safety, collected cooking oil. It can be used: provides a functional access control system and boosts »» as a raw material for the chemical industry visitor statistics. This is often combined with an entry pass »» in anaerobic digestion for biogas production giving households a certain number of free visits. In several »» in the production of biofuel municipalities, owners of small businesses may also use the »» energy recovery. services provided at the recycling centres for a fee.
The volume of of bulky waste In 2018, corresponds to households turned in 1,685,670 tonnes (-4%) There are 583 recycling centres in Sweden, managing a total of 165 of bulky waste, kg/pers 28 million visits annually. mainly at the municipalities’ manned recycling centres
14 Avfall Sverige Report 2017:11 Safety at recycling centres 15 Avfall Sverige Report 2015:07 Cooking oil sorting and treatment – good examples from municipalities and housing companies
14 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Fuel for the collection of food and residual waste 2018
Biogas 37% HVO/Other renewable 39% Diesel 23% Natural gas 2%
The diagram shows the distribution based on the total quantities of fuel used for the collection of food and residual waste. The information is based on data registered in Avfall Web by 166 municipalities. These may have more renewable fuels than Sweden as a whole.
Most common collection systems from single-family houses
Two separate bins Only one bin Multi-compartment bins Different coloured bags for optical sorting (one for food waste, 24% (primarily four-compartment) (usually food waste+residual waste, but there one for residual waste) 15% is also residual waste+food waste+ 49% newspapers/packaging waste) 12%
READ MORE: Avfall Sverige Report 2017:31 Manual for solid waste analysis of household food and residual waste Avfall Sverige Report 2018:07 Kerbside collection of small WEEE from apartments Avfall Sverige Report 2018:10 Barrier system at recycling centres Avfall Sverige Report 2018:11 Kerbside collection in an urban environment Avfall Sverige Report 2018:16 Waste planning handbook Avfall Sverige Report 2018:32 Build a recycling centre! Updated manual for recycling centre design Avfall Sverige Report 2018:37 Good examples of mobile recycling centres
15 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Sludge and latrine waste
Municipal waste responsibility includes the collection and phosphorous traps and sludge from micro treatment plants treatment of latrine waste, sludge and other fractions from are classed as household waste, and it is municipal waste small, private sewers. Sludge from sludge separators and management services that are responsible for removal, blackwater from closed tanks are often treated at municipal treatment and disposal. Few municipalities have developed wastewater treatment plants together with other incoming replacement procedures for phosphorous traps, and only 105 sewage. However, Revaq-certified wastewater treatment tonnes of phosphorous filter material were emptied in 2018. plants16 are finding it more and more difficult to take in sludge from sludge separators as it often has low nutrient Number of individual wastewater treatment content and a relatively high Cd/P ratio. Other options for plants 2018 sludge disposal are therefore needed17. On average, the treatment charge for sludge from sludge separators in 2018 Total number of individual was SEK 130 per tonne, excluding VAT. Almost 40 percent wastewater treatment plants 635,790 of the sludge from private sewers was used in agricultural land, and 35 percent was used for capping landfills in 2018. Sludge separator, number of plants 414,470 191 municipalities have reported that they handle 63,300 Sludge separator, number of collections 523,980 latrine waste collections per year, in total 900 tonnes of latrine waste. The scope varies from one latrine waste collection per Closed tanks, number of plants 79,090 year in certain municipalities to up to 8,500 collections in Closed tanks, number of collections 153,310 municipalities with many second homes. The number of latrine waste collections has decreased by 18 percent since The table is based on data from 236 municipalities that 2012. Many municipalities have systematically worked to registered data in Avfall Web. phase out latrine waste collection for reasons related to occupational health and safety. Solutions for reducing phosphorous in individual plants, such as phosphorous traps18 and micro treatment plants19, have been installed in recent years. This is because requirements have been imposed on the reduction of emissions that cause eutrophication. Filter material from
16 Revaq certification applies to sludge from treatment plants; see svensktvatten.se 17 Avfall Sverige Report 2016:20 Dewatering of sludge from small wastewater treatment plants – quality and disposal 18 Avfall Sverige Guide #19 Phosphorous filters – handling and replacement 19 Avfall Sverige Report U 2013:14 Micro treatment plants in private sewers
16 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 SLUDGE COLLECTION CERTIFICATION 88 percent of municipalities employ private contractors for Certification requirements for systems to ensure the quality the collection of sludge; 10 percent undertake this in-house of fractions from small sewers, SPCR 178, have been in force and the remaining 2 percent have a combination. Half of the since 2012. The requirements were updated in 2019. The 150 municipalities that registered data in Avfall Web requirements relate to source-separated sewer fractions operate entirely using renewable fuels, such as HVO and such as WC wastewater, latrine waste and urine. Other biogas. source-separated organic raw materials can be approved if Sludge can be collected by means of different techniques, they do not negatively impact any part of the treatment and i.e. full drainage, partial drainage and mobile dewatering. have a positive effect on the final product. One example is Full drainage means that the enter content of the sludge food waste from food waste disposers. There is no limit in separator is drained and transported away. Mobile terms of how many may be connected to the sewage systems dewatering means that the content of the sludge separator is that the source-separated fractions come from. Sewer suctioned up and dewatered, either with mechanical fractions such as sludge from sludge separators and separation or by means of polymers. With partial drainage, greywater cannot be certified. The sewer fractions must the principle is to suction up the bottom sludge and floating satisfy basic criteria in order for the plant to be certified21. sludge. The water phase is then left in place or is returned to the sludge separator. Partial drainage can be performed GREASE SEPARATORS AND COMBINATION with a single-compartment or two-compartment vehicle. 82 SYSTEMS percent of the municipalities use full drainage, 11 percent Avfall Sverige’s position is that grease waste and sludge use mobile dewatering, and 7 percent use partial drainage. from grease separators are household waste. 125,100 tonnes Sludge collection is often hard and physically tiring with of sludge from 15,700 grease separators were treated by the several manual operations such as pulling hoses long municipalities in 2018 (data from 200 municipalities). On distances and lifting heavy manhole covers and hard sludge average, each plant is emptied 3.2 times per year. However, cake. The municipalities are working actively for long-term there is great variation from once a year to up to twelve improvement of the working environment. Cooperation is times a year in some municipalities. 80 percent of the required between the various actors to strategically and grease separator sludge underwent anaerobic digestion, systematically work on occupational health and safety issues. primarily at municipal wastewater treatment plants. The Taking inventory of and documenting the municipality's treatment charge amounted to SEK 395 per tonne, collection points is an important component in excluding VAT. Systems where food waste disposers with improvement, and is crucial to a sound and transparent food waste separator are connected in series with grease procurement process20. separators (called combination system) have been introduced in some municipalities in recent years22.
20 Avfall Sverige Guide #13: Sustainable occupational health and safety during sludge collection from private sewers READ MORE: 21 Avfall Sverige Report 2018:19 Ammonia sanitation of source-separated Avfall Sverige Report 2016:07 Sustainable eco-cycle of small sewers waste fractions from Swedish households. A basis for updating of SPCR 178 Avfall Sverige Report 2016:12 Drainage of sludge separators – comparative “System for quality assurance of fractions from small sewers”. study of full drainage, mobile dewatering and partial drainage 22 Avfall Sverige Report 2018:35 Grease separators and combination systems Avfall Sverige Report 2019:02 Sludge collection with two-compartment vehi- with separators for food waste and grease cle. Less to transport and treat – better environment!
17 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Sludge collection service providers 2018 Sludge collection techniques 2018
Quantity Solely private contractors 88% Full drainage 186 Solely in-house 10% Dewatering technique 25 Combination of in-house Partial drainage and contractors 2% (two-compartment vehicle) 11 Partial drainage (single-compartment vehicle) 5
Number of latrine waste collections 2015-2018 Number of micro treatment plants and phosphorous traps 2012-2018
.
6 15
5
4 1
3
5
1
15 16 1 1 1 13 14 15 16 1 1
Sludge use and disposal 2018 Retrieval charges 2018, SEK/collection, incl. VAT
Agricultural or forest land 38% 1 5 Capping of landfills 35% Planting soil 14% 1 Other use and disposal 13%
5
18 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Hazardous waste
75,600 tonnes of hazardous waste23 were collected from COLLECTION SYSTEMS households in 2018, a decrease of 2 percent compared to The most common collection system for hazardous 2017. This corresponds to 7 kg per capita. This also includes household waste is dropping it off at manned municipal 48,880 tonnes of impregnated timber and 3,040 tonnes of recycling centres. A survey conducted by Avfall Sverige asbestos. Hazardous waste in the form of paint, chemicals shows that almost half of the country's municipalities also and oil waste amounted to 23,680 tonnes. Impregnated practice some type of kerbside collection of hazardous timber and asbestos has decreased, while other hazardous household waste26. waste has increased slightly. Almost one-third of the municipalities have collection via To detoxify the eco-cycle, it is important that hazardous recycling collection vehicles and/or recycling stations. Use waste be separated and handed in properly and in the right of recycling collection vehicles is becoming more common, place. Hazardous substances may be found in extremely while the number of recycling stations has decreased. small quantities in some products, but taken as a whole they The percentage of municipalities with mobile recycling can cause substantial harm if they end up in the wrong place. centres has increased some. All collection systems that involve The municipalities are responsible for the collection, a higher level of service have increased during the past year. transport and treatment of hazardous waste from Pharmaceutical products are covered by producer households. This responsibility is regulated by the Swedish responsibility and must be turned in at a pharmacy. Environmental Code, the Swedish Waste Ordinance and the Hazardous waste dropped off at collection or waste treat- Municipal Waste Regulation Ordinance. ment plants often requires pre-treatment. As hazardous waste Households have an obligation to separate hazardous may contain substances which are to be phased out of the waste from other household waste. Most municipalities have eco-cycle, treatment is often aimed at destroying these sub- regulated this obligation in the municipal refuse collection stances. Substances that cannot be rendered harmless or regulations. reused are taken to landfill. In such cases, it is important that There are no exact details on the amount of hazardous the waste be chemically and physically stable so that hazardous waste produced by industry, but according to the latest substances do not leak out into the surrounding environment. official waste statistics, reported to the EU by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, 2.4 million tonnes of Volume of hazardous waste collected 2000-2018 hazardous waste were produced in Sweden in 2016. The waste came mainly from construction, the household sector, service providers, energy supply, metal and metal products, 6 and the manufacture of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and 5 plastic products. Of this, about 343,000 tonnes were 4 24 25 exported to European treatment plants . 3 23 Hazard waste is waste described with a waste code marked with an asterisk 1 (*) in Appendix 4 of the Swedish Waste Ordinance. 24 Swedish Environmental Protection Agency Report Waste in Sweden 2016 - - 5 -1 -15 -1 25 Avfall Sverige Report 2017:21 Where does hazardous waste go? 26 Avfall Sverige Report 2015:23 Kerbside and consumer-oriented collection of . hazardous waste from households
19 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 WEEE and batteries
143,410 TONNES OF WEEE 14 kg/pers (excluding batteries) were collected in 2018 This is an increase of 12 percent compared with 2017.
COLLECTION SYSTEMS More than half of the municipalities have some form of Since Sweden's introduction of producer responsibility for consumer-oriented collection of hazardous waste, for WEEE27 in 2001, municipalities and producers have example in shops or other public places. cooperated in the collection of WEEE. Avfall Sverige, the Since 2015, shops are responsible for taking in WEEE. Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, and Large shops that sell electronics are required to collect all the electrical producers’ service company, El-Kretsen, are types of consumer electronics smaller than 25 cm, even if collaborating on the "El-retur" system. The municipalities the consumer does not buy anything. For other shops, a undertake, in return for remuneration, to be responsible for one-for-one principle applies, i.e. if you buy a product you the collection of WEEE from households, while the have the option of turning in one equivalent old product at producers are responsible for its treatment. In turn that shop. The collected products are submitted free of "El-Kretsen" collaborates with Recipo, an economic charge to an approved recycling collection system. association that also represents the producers. The technological development of different recycling Avfall Sverige and El-Kretsen collaborate with several methods has facilitated collection for consumers. One municipalities on different projects to develop these example is that all small light sources can now be placed in collection systems. the same container. The battery producers are responsible Collection of WEEE from households is primarily carried for the collection, treatment and recycling of all batteries, out at the 583 manned municipal recycling centres found regardless of when they appeared on the market. throughout the country. But, the majority of municipalities have several different collection systems for WEEE, both kerbside and consumer-oriented28.
27 See the definition of electrical and electronic waste (WEEE) in Ordinance (2014:1075) on Producer Responsibility for Electrical and Electronic Equipment 28 Avfall Sverige Report 2018:07 Kerbside collection of small WEEE from apartments – opportunities and risks
20 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 TREATMENT METHODS Amount of batteries collected 2014–2018 WEEE is pre-treated through separation and dismantling before being sent for further treatment. Pre-treatment is tonnes carried out at certified facilities, after which the waste is 8,000 sent for final treatment or recycling. Components 7,000 containing hazardous substances are treated at approved 6,000 treatment plants. Much can be recovered once the hazardous substances 5,000 have been removed. Plastic cases are incinerated in energy 4,000 recovery plants, and metals are sent to smelting plants for 3,000 recovery. Recovered copper, aluminium and iron are used 2,000 as raw materials in new products. Computers, mobile phones and other IT products contain small amounts of 1,000 precious metals that are also recovered. For example, some 0 printed circuit boards contain gold and/or silver. 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Fluorescent tubes and low-energy bulbs contain mercury. Built-in and portable These products are therefore separated and treated in a Car batteries closed process in which the mercury is disposed of in a safe and controlled manner while the fluorescent powder can be reused in the production of new light sources. Metal and WEEE collected for material recycling electronic waste go to specialised recovery companies that 2003–2018 recover metals and use plastics for energy recovery. The tonnes glass is cleaned and reused. Other types of light bulbs, such 200,000 as incandescent bulbs and LED lights, are treated as part of the same process as fluorescent tubes and low-energy bulbs. 150,000 Batteries are sorted by chemical content before being sent for recovery or disposal. 100,000
50,000
There are two approved national collection systems for 0 WEEE – El-kretsen and Recipo. -03-05 -10-15 -18 Source:Inkluderar El-Kretsen el-avfall and Recipo utanför producentansvaret
21 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 820,000 TONNES 455,000 TONNES PACKAGING MATERIALS FROM RECYCLING TOTAL QUANTITY CENTRES, ETC.* 741,000 TONNES OF HOUSEHOLD 220,000 FOOD AND WASTE TONNES GARDEN WASTE 4,771,000 TONNES RECYCLABLE PAPER 142,000 OF WHICH TONNES HAZARDOUS ELECTRONICS WASTE AND 75,600 TONNES BATTERIES
BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT
MATERIAL RECYCLING
2,403,000 TONNES RESIDUAL WASTE AND
BULKY WASTE SWEDISH HOUSEHOLD WASTE 2018 incl. what is sent to landfill ENERGY RECOVERY Swedish Swedish household waste 2018
LANDFILL
* materials collected at recycling centres for material recycling, e.g. scrap metal, corrugated board and municipal plastic.
22 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Fuel (biogas) to 516 biogas vehicles 200 GWH that drive 15.000 km/year. VEHICLE GAS
10 GWH HEATING + 267,100 ELECTRICITY TONNES 405,800 TONNES COMPOST SOIL DIGESTATE
1,310,000 TONNES RAW MATERIAL ANAEROBIC DIGESTION ANAEROBIC BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT COMPOSTING
246,000 tonnes of material loss to energy recovery MATERIAL RECYCLING 870 GWH ELECTRICITY
Waste incineration supplies a total of 680,000 households with electricity and 1.2 million households with district heating.
ENERGY RECOVERY
LANDFILL
It takes 1 GWh of energy to cover the electricity needs of a city the size 1.4 GWH 6,120 GWH of Lund (approximately 100,000 HEATING inhabitants) for eight hours. HEATING 0.1 GWH ELECTRICITY
It takes 1,000 GWh of energy to operate all of Sweden’s trains, metro trains and trams for five months.
Relates to benefits from the treatment of household waste
23 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Material recycling
1,310,000 TONNES RAW MATERIAL
246,000 tonnes of material loss to energy recovery
1,489,700 tonnes, 31 percent, of household waste went to RECYCLING TARGETS material recycling in 2018. This corresponds to 146 kg per The EU wants to guide member states towards a more person. In addition, 145,770 tonnes of construction circular economy and has therefore intensified recycling materials were recycled. targets in the new waste legislation. By 2025, at least 55 The total volume of waste to material recycling includes percent of municipal waste in the EU shall be recycled to collected packaging and recyclable paper from households. new material. The target increases to 60 percent by 2030 These fractions amounted to 704,970 tonnes or 69 kg per and to 65 percent by 2035. 65 percent of all packaging person. The total volume also includes 333,180 tonnes of material should be material recycled by 2025, and 70 packaging from businesses, mainly attributable to packaging percent by 2030. The targets apply to material recycling, waste. including preparation for reuse. In connection with this, Material recycling plays a key role in a sustainable society. reporting has been made stricter and must specify actual It is therefore vital that waste be viewed as a resource, and quantities recycled.29 handled correctly. Material recycling means that separated The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency conducts materials can replace other production materials or annual follow-ups of producer responsibility in Sweden, with construction materials. This not only results in a reduction the latest statistics relating to 201730. At that time 72 percent in the consumption of virgin material; it also leads to energy of packages were sent to material recycling, which means that savings. the target of 55 percent is met. Beginning 2020, the recycling target for packaging is 65 percent, which means that Sweden has more stringent requirements than the EU.
29 Read more about the EU Waste Directive https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/SV/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L:2018:150:FULL&from=EN 30 Swedish Environmental Protection Agency report Sweden's recycling of packaging and newspapers – Follow-up of producer responsibility for packaging and newspapers 2017
24 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 COLLECTION SYSTEMS recycling of materials such as plastics and textiles are Household packaging and recyclable paper is mainly evolving. Most bulky waste undergoes material recycling or collected through unmanned recycling stations owned by energy recovery. Hazardous waste is destroyed to detoxify the producers and via kerbside collection. Collection can the eco-cycle. also be available using manned municipal recycling centres. Products for reuse are increasing, such as construction A growing number of municipalities offer kerbside material for reuse, which is collected separately. In collection of packaging and recyclable paper, particularly for cooperation with other stakeholders, construction material single-family houses, through collection in multi- is refined and resold. compartment bins, while some municipalities collect such Materials that are generally difficult to recycle or that are waste in coloured bags which then undergo optical sorting. made up of different materials go to energy recovery and are Avfall Sverige has compared different systems for kerbside converted to electricity and heat. Examples of such collection in urban environments.31 Kerbside collection will materials are certain types of construction waste, sports increase, and more municipalities have decided to introduce equipment, some furniture and toys, and foam rubber, kerbside collection. The amended ordinances32 which entail carpets, tarpaulins and cushions. more kerbside collection will also contribute to this Material recycling of bulky waste is carried out, for example, increase. for scrap metal that is sent directly to processing plants that Most producers of packaging and recyclable paper have the municipalities have contracts with. There, it is inspected, organised their collection and recovery undertakings sorted based on type of metal, fragmented, and ultimately used through the company Förpacknings- och to produce new products at steel and metal works. tidningsinsamlingen – FTI. A small number of producers Wood is usually sorted based on how it was treated, e.g. are organised through the company TMR. With the pure wood, painted, or pressure impregnated. Untreated amended ordinances for packaging and recyclable paper, wood is chipped and used as a biofuel, or is used in the from 2021 collection will be organised through collection manufacturing of chipboard. If the wood contains systems requiring a permit. chemicals, as in the case of painted and pressure At the municipalities’ manned recycling centres, impregnated wood, it is treated separately and destroyed, households (and sometimes also small companies) can turn whereby it is converted into energy. in bulky waste, WEEE and hazardous waste.33 The amount Garden waste, such as branches and fruit that has fallen off of waste turned in at municipal recycling centres is steadily the tree, are refined through biological treatment. It can either increasing, as are opportunities for material recycling and be composted or undergo anaerobic digestion. Some garden treatment of a variety of materials. waste is sent for energy recovery. A new method for treating garden waste is being used in Stockholm whereby biochar is RECYCLING produced through pyrolysis.34 This method has attracted great Packaging and recyclable paper are processed at different interest both nationally and internationally. plants, both in Sweden and abroad, depending on the Stone, soil, brick and ceramics are turned into fill material material. The recycling levels are high for paper and glass, that can be used in various forms of construction work. while material recycling of plastics, for example, is lower. Corrugated board is a large fraction and is sent for In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of recycling into new corrugated board. One paper fibre can be fractions at recycling centres as options for further material recycled 7-8 times.
31 Avfall Sverige Report 2018:11 Kerbside collection in an urban environment 32 Ordinance (2018:1462) on producer responsibility for packaging and Ordinance (2018:1463) on producer responsibility for recyclable paper 33 Avfall Sverige Report 2018:36 Increased sorting of construction and demolition waste 34 Avfall Sverige Report 2018:14 The market for biochar in Sweden
25 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 There are now also recycling methods for materials that were ers are hesitant about using recycled plastic because they are previously difficult to recycle, such as plaster and flat glass. uncertain about its availability and quality. An international Plasterboard is ground down into plaster powder, which is standard can contribute to increased recycling. used to make new plasterboard. Flat glass is primarily recy- It is important to increase the recycling of plastic, not cled into insulation, but is also used to make new glass. least because it is mostly fossil. Many municipalities now provide for the collection of plastic that is not packaging, PLASTICS PROBLEMATIC WHEN IT COMES TO referred to as municipal plastic waste. According to Avfall RECYCLING Web, 12,600 tonnes of municipal plastic was collected for Glass and metal are two materials that could theoretically be recycling in 2018, an increase of 7 percent compared to the recycled an infinite number of times as long as they are not previous year. contaminated. Material recycling of plastics, on the other Technological development for automated sorting and hand, is complicated since plastic waste is a mixture of a material recycling is increasing steadily, as is the quality of number of different types of plastics and the products often the secondary raw material. In parallel, it is important to consist of several composite materials35. increase the demand for recycled material, particularly among Plastic is a very useful material that combines many good producers, manufacturers and designers of new products. properties. But, plastic can also create problems, both in man- In 2019, Plastkretsen inaugurated a new, modern sorting ufacturing and use. Various environmental and health effects plant for plastic packaging in Motala, and also changed its are examples of such problems, along with littering. Plastic name to Svensk Plaståtervinning. that cannot be reused or recycled because it contains hazard- ous substances or is improperly designed is a major problem, TEXTILE COLLECTION particularly in the waste stage. But, responsibility for address- Textile is another fraction that has received increased ing the problem begins right from the design and production environmental focus and is increasingly collected separately, stage. Avfall Sverige has defined a number of positions36 in usually in partnership with non-profit organisations. relation to plastic for better management of the material, but Textiles are mainly collected for reuse and further also finds that the responsibility for achieving these targets processing for reuse via sorting facilities in Europe. lies primarily with the producers. The Government has also The new EU Waste Directive states that from 2025 textiles called attention to the various problems that plastic can cause, and hazardous waste from households must be collected and launched an inquiry, “The plastics inquiry”, to review separately. The Government has also stated that producer possibilities for reducing the negative environmental effects of responsibility for textiles will be investigated. plastic. The inquiry proposed measures to increase material The focus and demand for textile recycling is large globally, recycling of plastic and investigate the need for alternative but only a limited proportion of textiles are capable of methods/techniques for reuse and material recycling37. material recycling at present. However, many new initiatives The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has decided for material recycling of textile are under way in both Sweden to contribute to SIS, Swedish Standards Institute, to establish and the rest of the EU. Several stakeholders, researchers, an ISO secretariat for the development of plastic recycling research institutes, colleges, industrial networks, standards and strive for international development towards municipalities and recyclers are collaborating in various the increased material recycling of plastic. Many manufactur- initiatives and methods with promising results.
35 Report No. C245 IVL “Material recycling of plastic waste from recycling centres” 36 https://www.avfallsverige.se/om-oss/vad-vi-tycker/ 37 SOU 2018:84 It’s possible if we are willing to work. Proposal for sustainable plastic use.
READ MORE: Avfall Sverige Report 2017:13 Sorting experiments with Swedish residual waste in ROAF's sorting plant Avfall Sverige Report 2019:03 Introduction to the sale of waste – considerations for different types of materials
26 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Collected volumes of packaging and recyclable Material recycling households 1975-2018 paper from households that has been dropped off for material recycling 2018
tonnes kg/person Recyclable paper 217,970 21.3 1 5 Paper packaging 158,430 15.5 Metal packaging 19,300 1.9 1 Plastic packaging 83,070 8.1 Glass packaging 226,200 22.1 5 Total 704,970 68.9 Source: Avfall Web and Förpacknings- and tidningsinsamlingen (FTI) 19 5 19 5 1995 5 1 The information relates only to waste collected from households through recycling stations and by kerbside collection.
Collected household waste for material recycling 2014-2018 (tonnes) 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Recyclable paper 313,640 293,310 269,520 249,900 217,970 Packaging made of corrugated board, metal, plastic and glass 673,310 712,020 751,410 763,690 820,180 Electrical waste including cooling units 148,780 126,540 122,310 117,750 132,160 Portable batteries 3,100 3,040 2,980 3,250 3,170 Car batteries 6,590 6,720 7,060 6,610 6,820 Oil waste 1,840 1,830 1,740 1,790 1,770 Water-based paint 4,140 4,220 4,040 4,210 4,450 Other hazardous waste for material recycling - 8,580 8,550 8,560 4,370 Scrap metal 156,060 160,850 165,400 161,900 161,230 Plaster waste 23,040 23,490 23,830 26,620 24,270 Flat glass 1,590 1,640 1,890 1,580 1,720 Plastic, not packaging 3,350 7,150 11,040 11,740 12,600 Corrugated board from recycling centres 44,060 52,610 54,970 54,110 53,620 Textile waste 2,320 1,760 1,830 2,240 3,150 Other material submitted for recycling, incl. tyres 60,960 37,810 31,320 38,060 42,220 Total material recycling 1,442,780 1,441,570 1,457,890 1,452,010 1,489,700 Recycling of construction materials 175,150 210,730 156,830 165,200 145,770 Material recycling, incl. construction materials 1,617,930 1,652,300 1,614,720 1,617,210 1,635,470
Source: Avfall Web, El-Kretsen, Elektronikåtervinningsföreningen and Förpacknings- och tidningsinsamlingen (FTI) The volumes of packaging also include packaging collected from businesses. A lot of this material is “equivalent household waste”. *Electrical waste and batteries only include that collected from households. According to information from El-Kretsen, 8 percent of the amount is presumed to come from businesses.
27 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Biological treatment
Fuel (biogas) to 516 biogas vehicles 200 GWH that drive 15.000 km/year. VEHICLE GAS 10 GWH HEATING + ELECTRICITY 267,100 TONNES 405,800 TONNES COMPOST SOIL DIGESTATE ANAEROBIC DIGESTION ANAEROBIC Relates to the benefit from the COMPOSTING treatment of household waste.
In 2018, 741,110 tonnes of household waste went to In 2016, 40 percent of food waste was recycled through biological treatment – anaerobic digestion or composting. biological treatment to recover plant nutrients40. With 32 72 kg household waste per person underwent biological percent of the waste, both plant nutrients and energy were treatment in 2018. Biological treatment makes up 15.5 recovered. By 2020, the goal is for at least 50 percent of percent of the total amount of treated household waste. food waste to be treated biologically to recover plant The biological treatment of food waste, excluding home nutrients and at least 40 percent of the waste treated to compost, amounted to 452,380 tonnes38 in 2018. The recover both nutrients and energy. amount of food waste treated in co-digestion plants increased by 8 percent, while food waste treated in central INCREASED COLLECTION OF SOURCE- composting plants decreased by 23 percent. SEPARATED FOOD WASTE According to the Swedish Environmental Protection The collection of source-separated food waste increased by 4 Agency's calculations39, approximately 78 kg of food waste is percent in 2018 compared to 2017. 82 percent of the produced per person annually in Swedish households. In municipalities, i.e. 238, collect source-separated food waste addition, 14 kg per person is produced from restaurants and to varying degrees. catering and 3 kg per person from retail. In total 949,000 The majority of the municipalities provide collection from tonnes of waste are produced in the above categories. households, catering kitchens and restaurants, while 6 municipalities only provide collection from catering kitchens and restaurants.
38 Treated volumes include dilution water, which is one of the reasons that the figure is higher than the volume of food waste collected. 39 SMED Report 2017:11 Follow-up of milestone for increased resource conservation in the food chain – data for 2016. This figure excludes liquid food waste poured down the drain, but includes biological waste (like flowers) that is not actually food waste. 40 Swedish Environmental Protection Agency report 6707 Annual follow-up of Sweden's environmental quality objectives and milestones 2016
28 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Avfall Sverige compiled a guide to help municipalities and Anaerobic digestion also produces digestate, a fertiliser with enterprises get started with the collection of source- a high nutrient content. Just over 1.7 million tonnes of diges- separated food waste41. tate were produced in 2018. 99 percent of this organic fertil- Avfall Sverige has also created an overview of various iser was used in agricultural land. Using digestate instead of collection systems for source-separated household food mineral fertiliser recycles plant nutrients back into the eco-cy- waste42. The report describes what happens throughout the cle and decreases the need for e.g. imported phosphorus. chain and uses this to assess how it affects quality. Digestate is an important fertiliser for increasing organic Active quality assurance in the collection phase is farming in Sweden, which is a goal of the National Food required to achieve good quality43. The quality of the end Strategy for Sweden. product is dependent on how well the food waste is Avfall Sverige operates the website biogodsel.se. The separated at the source. An important tool for good quality website contains information on what digestate is, how it is is varying types of communication initiatives44, 45. used, what effect it has, and what regulations govern its use.
COLLECTION SYSTEMS CERTIFIED RECYCLING The most common collection system for source-separated Plants that produce compost or digestate from clean source- food waste from single-family houses is a separate bin. 64 separated waste from the foodstuff and/or feedstuff chains percent of the municipalities use this system. There are also can quality label their products through our certified four-compartment bins in which different fractions are recovery system. This is a certification system developed by sorted into separate inserts in two large bins, and collection Avfall Sverige in consultation with the agricultural and food systems using the optical sorting of different coloured bags industries, compost and digestate producers, soil producers, that are put into the same bin. Of the municipalities that public authorities and researchers. LRF (Federation of collect food waste, 17 percent use four-compartment bins Swedish Farmers), Svenska Kvarnföreningen (Swedish and 16 percent use optical sorting. Some municipalities also Flour Milling Industry Organisation), Lantmännen, Svenska have a two-compartment bin for food and residual waste. Foder and KRAV are some of the organisations that approve digestates based on source-separated food waste the meets TREATMENT METHODS the certification requirements of SPCR 12046. The main purpose of biological treatment is the circulation Certification places demands on the entire production of nutrients in society as a means of closing the eco-cycle. chain, from incoming waste/substrate to the end product. Anaerobic digestion is the most common method of treat- There are also requirements related to the implementation ing food waste. Anaerobic digestion produces biogas, which of the process. consists mainly of methane and carbon dioxide. Biogas is a 1.5 million tonnes of certified digestate was produced in renewable source of energy. After refinement, during which 2018 for use as agricultural fertiliser. In total, approx. 4,500 the carbon dioxide is removed, it can be used as a vehicle tonnes of directly available nitrogen, approximately 730 fuel. It can also be used for heating or electricity generation. tonnes of phosphorus, and approximately 2,500 tonnes of potassium were supplied to agriculture.
41 Guide #2: Introduction of system for the collection of source-separated food waste 42 Avfall Sverige Report 2015:15 Food waste's journey from table to earth 43 Avfall Sverige Report 2015:17 Quality assurance of source-separated food waste 44 Avfall Sverige Report 2016:03 Collection of food waste in apartment blocks Good examples from municipalities and public housing companies 45 Avfall Sverige has compiled good examples of communication regarding the collection of food waste in a database available to Avfall Sverige members at avfallsverige.se 46 Avfall Sverige Report Annual report 2018 – Certified recycling, SPCR 120
29 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Digestate has low levels of metal. The mean level of READ MORE: Avfall Sverige Report 2016:14 Aeration of digestate to reduce methane cadmium was 0.3 mg/kg TS, well below KRAV's limit of emissions 0.7 mg/kg TS. Avfall Sverige Report 2016:16 Biogas upgrading – Technical review Avfall Sverige Report 2016:26 Process-internal methane enrichment in Today, 86 percent of all digestate produced in co-digestion plants – simultaneous reduction of carbon dioxide, hydrogen co-digestion plants is certified. sulphide, and ammonium in the anaerobic digestion of food waste Avfall Sverige Report 2016:31 Mapping of endotoxin in the working The website biogodsel.se contains contact details for environment for composting and biogas plants biogas plants that produce certified digestate, what amounts Avfall Sverige Report 2017:05 Benchmarking for more efficient biogas production of certified digestate are produced in total in Sweden, and Avfall Sverige Report 2017:15 Sustainability criteria for biogas An overview of what it contains. data and methods Avfall Sverige Guide #15: Food waste collection – what applies under animal by-products legislation? Avfall Sverige Report 2017:33 Suitable instruments of control for Swedish- MINIMIZING METHANE EMISSIONS produced biogas after 2020 As early as 2007, Avfall Sverige members initiated a self- Avfall Sverige Report 2017:32 Instruments of control for biogas Avfall Sverige Report 2017:35 Important properties of food waste collection 47 inspection system to minimise methane emissions from bags biogas and refining plants. They called this “Frivilligt Avfall Sverige Report 2018:01 Aeration of digestate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – stage 2 åtagande”, which means voluntary commitment. Since Avfall Sverige Report 2018:05 Evaporation of digestate 2018, Avfall Sverige and Svenskt Vatten have ramped up Avfall Sverige Report 2018:31 Food waste recycling processes of the future Avfall Sverige Report 2018:33 Knowledge compilation on polymers in the this work by collaborating on a system to, among other biogas industry things, get even more water and sanitation plants on board. Avfall Sverige Report 2019:05 Fruit bag = paper bag for food waste Avfall Sverige Report 2019:09 Measurement of greenhouse gas emissions at Methane emissions should be minimised for environmental, digestate storage using conventional technology as well as new and innovative technology economic, safety and other reasons. Some 40 plants have Avfall Sverige Report 2019:11 Thermophilic or mesophilic digestion of food joined the system. They systematically measure emissions, waste – which is best? Avfall Sverige Report 2019:17 The microbiological working environment in and follow-up of the measurement results show that biological treatment – a compilation of microbiological health and safety risks, emissions are steadily decreasing48, 49. completed health and safety measurements, and how to work for a better and safer working environment
Biological treatment of household waste 1975-2018 FROM 2017 TO 2018, THE COLLECTION OF SOURCE-SEPARATED FOOD WASTE tonnes 800,000 INCREASED BY 700,000 600,000 500,000 +4% 400,000 300,000 BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT 200,000 2018 > 741 KILOTONNES 100,000 1,135% 1975 > more in 2018 than 0 60 KILOTONNES in 1975 -75 -95 -00 -05--10 -15 18
47 Self-inspection of Methane Emissions – A description of the system for inventorying and reducing methane emissions from co-digestion plants, wastewater treatment plants and biogas upgrading plants 48 Avfall Sverige Report 2016:17 Methane measurement handbook Revision 2016 49 Avfall Sverige Report 2016:18 Reporting of data from methane measurements using self-inspection of methane emissions – voluntary undertaking 2007-2015
30 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Biological treatment of household waste 2014-2018 (tonnes) 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Food waste to co-digestion plants 275,370 316,850 358,680 353,190 381,090 Food waste to central composting plants 52,880 44,700 35,100 20,410 15,620 Food waste undergoing anaerobic digestion at treatment plants 61,500 66,080 48,060 54,120 55,910 Food waste that is home composted 48,300 44,500 42,900 37,100 37,040 Garden waste to central composting plants 275,060 256,440 272,740 276,460 251,450 Total 713,110 728,570 757,480 741,280 741,110
Food waste is household waste and thus equivalent whether it comes from households, restaurants, food shops, schools and similar businesses. Waste from the food industry, slaughterhouses, etc. is not included. Food waste undergoing anaerobic digestion at sewage works includes food waste that travels to the drainage system via a food waste disposer.
Biological treatment in total including household waste 2014–2018 (tonnes)1 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Anaerobic digestion 1,227,990 1,616,080 1,614,920 1,562,210 1,631,400 Composting 502,500 418,340 476,090 450,360 351,755 Total 1,730,490 2,034,420 2,091,010 2,012,570 1,983,155
Resource economisation (tonnes) 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Digestate 1,236,560 1,712,050 1,708,320 1,678,260 1,737,110
Energy production (MWh) 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Vehicle gas 591,960 747,680 829,280 856,170 848,390 Electricity 2,100 18,070 17,140 5,660 4,610 Heating 30,070 38,480 42,820 36,850 38,240 Flaring 38,260 34,100 35,480 60,230 34,290 Other 3,180 18,480 16,610 16,770 24,900 Total (MWh) 665,570 856,810 941,330 975,680 950,430
Source: Avfall Web, Avfall Sverige. 1) These amounts relate to the plants that have reported figures to Avfall Web. This summary does not provide a complete picture of biological treatment in Sweden.
31 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Plants that compost food waste 2018 Digestion plants 2018 Municipality Food waste (tonnes) Municipality Total (tonnes) of which food Hässleholm 3,620 waste Karlshamn 1,240 Alvesta 48,240 1,100 Luleå 5,610 Bjuv* 43,010 1,330 Uppsala 2,200 Borås* 27,360 17,160 Östersund 2,950 Falkenberg* 80,330 23,100 Falköping 7,250 4,770 Total 15,620 Gotland 87,200 7,120 Gävle 14,470 11,090 Helsingborg* 148,700 55,260 Huddinge 55,280 36,170 Wastewater treatment plants that carry out Härnösand 2,110 2,110 anaerobic digestion of food waste 2018 Höör 25,930 5,930 Municipality Food waste (tonnes) Jönköping* 14,890 11,530 Alingsås 8,450 Kalmar* 27,020 1,940 Boden 4,410 Kalmar* 74,800 9,730 Borlänge 50 Karlshamn 11,980 11,980 Botkyrka 12,940 Karlskoga 39,800 19,870 Katrineholm* 71,250 0 Gotland 650 Kristianstad* 92,550 32,360 Gothenburg 8,920 Laholm* 46,020 16,260 Kalmar 5,910 Lidköping* 98,170 0 Norrköping 390 Linköping* 96,900 45,700 Smedjebacken 900 Mariestad 78,660 0 Umeå 600 Skellefteå 9,370 7,910 Växjö 8,890 Skövde* 38,020 2,110 Other, food waste disposer to sewer system 3,800 Sävsjö* 54,880 80 Total 55,910 Trelleborg* 47,080 0 Upplands-Bro 10,050 6,000 Source: Svenskt Vatten Uppsala* 37,200 30,200 Uppsala 18,860 0 Vårgårda* 72,100 1,510 Västervik 5,570 2,190 Västerås* 20,590 16,580 Västerås 72,200 0 Örebro* 53,560 0 Total 1,631,400 381,090
Source: Avfall Web, Avfall Sverige. Avfall Sverige's statistics include digestion plants classified as co-digestion plants, i.e. plants that treat several types of waste. Most co-digestion plants receive household waste (food waste). More information about the plants is available on Avfall Sverige's website. *) SPCR 120-certified plant
32 │ Swedish32 │ Swedish Waste WasteManagement Management 2018 2018 Energy recovery
870 GWH ELECTRICITY
Waste incineration supplies a total of 680,000 households with electricity and 1.2 million households with district heating.
6,120 GWH Relates to the benefit from the It takes 1,000 GWh of energy to operate all HEATING treatment of household waste. of Sweden’s trains, metro trains and trams for five months.
In 2018, 2,362,160 tonnes of household waste went to energy In addition to household waste, 3.6 million tonnes of other recovery. This is a reduction of 2 percent from 2017. This waste, primarily industrial waste, was also treated by means that every inhabitant of Sweden sent 231 kg of Swedish plants. household waste to energy recovery in 2018. Energy recovery The capacity for energy recovery in Sweden is greater than makes up half of the total amount of treated household waste. the domestic availability of combustible waste. In 2018, Waste is a fuel used in Swedish district heating systems. Swedish energy recovery plants therefore also treated Converting waste to energy meets the heating needs of 1,534,100 tonnes of waste from other European countries, 1,250,000 apartments and the electricity needs of 680,000 667,200 tonnes of which was household waste. This waste apartments. In 2018, 17.5 TWh of energy was produced, of contributes to the fuel supply in Sweden and solves some which 15.3 TWh was used for heating and 2.2 TWh for waste management problems in exporting countries. electricity. In addition, three plants reported that they delivered 100,120 MWh of district cooling. Sweden recovers more energy from waste than any other country in Europe, approximately 3 MWh per tonne50.
50 2,961 MWh/tonne as the weighted average of the number of tonnes of waste
33 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 There are 34 incineration plants for household waste in resource that should be reserved for particularly pressing areas Sweden. Avfall Sverige's statistical information mainly of application. Avfall Sverige actively works with its members refers to these plants plus Kils Energi. Energy recovery is to ensure that granulated slag used outside of the plants does also practised in plants that do not treat household waste. not jeopardise people or the environment in any way. Every other year, the Swedish Environmental Protection Flue gas treatment residues is the collective term for a Agency compiles statistics over waste treatment in Sweden. fine-grain fraction that is created during treatment of flue The latest report was published in 2018 and presents figures gas. The fraction consists of fly ash, filter cake from hose for 201651. It contains information about all Swedish energy filters, and sludge from wet flue gas treatment. After they recovery. are stabilised, flue gas treatment residues are either There is residue from combustion. Slag from the furnace transported to landfill or used as a neutralization agent makes up about 16 percent by weight of the amount of input when refilling mines and pits. waste, and flue gas treatment residues make up 4 percent by weight. Slag consists of materials that are not combustible or RECYCLING METHOD do not evaporate during combustion. Examples of such According to the EU Framework Directive on Waste and the materials are glass, porcelain, scrap iron and gravel. Swedish Waste Ordinance, waste incineration with efficient Once larger objects and metal residues have been sorted out energy recovery is regarded as a recycling method53. for material recycling and the remaining material has been Swedish plants fulfil the energy efficiency criterion (R1 sifted and stabilised, what remains is granulated slag. This is formula) by good margin54. Energy recovery is a hygienic mainly used as a construction material in landfill sites, but it and environmentally sound treatment method for waste that would be beneficial to be able to use it instead of sand and cannot or should not be treated in any other manner. gravel from natural deposits in road construction, for example52. Sand and gravel from natural deposits are a finite
READ MORE: Avfall Sverige Report 2015:24 Quality assurance upon import of waste fuel Avfall Sverige Report 2016:04 Critical evaluation of methods for hazard classification of the ecotoxic properties of waste (HP14) Avfall Sverige Report 2016:05 Method comparison of dioxin sampling SRM-AMESA Avfall Sverige Report 2016:22 ARCFUME for metallurgical treatment of fly ash from waste incineration Avfall Sverige Report 2016:25 Corrosion in the storage of slag from waste incineration – the impact of storage on environmental properties and the ability to recover metals Avfall Sverige Report 2017:02 What is a polluter? Allocation of emissions from energy recovery Avfall Sverige Report 2017:03 Stabilisation of lead in fly ash from waste incineration through ageing and carbonation in contact with moisture and air Avfall Sverige Report 2017:06 Industry-wide agreement for quality assurance of waste fuel Avfall Sverige Report 2017:23 Right item to the right treatment Material recycling, waste incineration and the detoxification of society Avfall Sverige Report 2017:24 Dioxin and waste incineration Avfall Sverige Report 2018:04 Handling the waste stage of plastic composites with carbon nanotubes Avfall Sverige Report 2018:09 Fire safety during storage of waste fuel Avfall Sverige Report 2018:13 Guidance for classification of incineration residues with calculation methods Avfall Sverige Report 2018:28 How do we achieve fossil-free waste incineration? – A scenario analysis Avfall Sverige Report 2019:06 Waste incineration for future needs: scenario analysis and action plans Avfall Sverige Report 2019:10 Situation analysis of the energy industry’s flow of environmental data Avfall Sverige Report 2019:14 Updated decision support for recycling granulated slag in specific asphalt-covered construction structures
51 Swedish Environmental Protection Agency Report Waste in Sweden 2016 52 Avfall Sverige Report 2019:14 Updated decision support for recycling granulated slag in specific asphalt-covered construction structures 53 EU Framework Directive on Waste (2008/98/EC) and the Swedish Waste Ordinance (2011:927) 54 Read more about the energy efficiency criterion (R1) in Appendix 2 of the Swedish Waste Ordinance (2011:927)
34 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Energy recovery plants 2018 Processed waste (tonnes) Energy production (MWh) of which Municipality Plant Total household waste Heating Electricity Avesta Källhagsverket 58,700 12,300 175,000 0 Boden Bodens Värmeverk 104,580 24,480 336,180 22,810 Bollnäs Säverstaverket 70,010 40,480 153,380 29,180 Borlänge Fjärrvärmeverket, Bäckelund 94,410 27,040 252,260 40,520 Borås Ryaverket 104,040 23,150 222,100 50,000 Eda Åmotsfors Energi 70,380 15,800 155,520 20,870 Eksjö Eksjö Energi AB 49,620 27,250 115,850 14,210 Finspång FTV Värmeverket 28,010 6,040 71,330 0 Gothenburg Sävenäs avfallskraftvärmeverk 538,150 220,570 1,506,350 204,590 Halmstad Kristineheds avfallsvärmeverk 177,740 70,040 495,950 63,620 Helsingborg Filbornaverket 199,970 55,000 463,890 122,320 Hässleholm Beleverket i Hässleholm 49,540 31,410 124,640 11,120 Jönköping Kraftvärmeverket Torsvik 156,990 38,120 429,790 102,520 Karlskoga Karlskoga Kraftvärmeverk 88,560 20,030 149,090 15,400 Karlstad Avfallsvärmeverket på Heden 49,210 49,210 147,390 0 Kil Kils Avfallsförbränningsanläggning 15,590 0 49,410 0 Kiruna Kiruna Värmeverk 60,370 12,980 177,060 19,310 Kumla Ekokem Förbränning 152,730 10,020 288,650 19,160 Köping Norsa avfallsförbränningsanläggning 21,020 18,920 61,150 0 Lidköping* PC Filen 122,680 27,640 350,420 22,590 Linköping Gärstadverket 565,200 138,130 1,435,410 203,640 Ljungby Ljungby Energi AB 56,820 50,800 131,980 14,190 Malmö Sysav förbränningsanläggning 543,320 191,540 1,380,550 171,290 Mora* Avfallsförbränningen Mora 20,310 13,440 61,490 0 Norrköping E.ON Händelöverket 360,000 59,000 955,000 113,000 Nybro Kraftvärmeverket Transtorp 53,120 53,120 160,960 29,400 Sigtuna Brista kraftvärmeverk 194,530 66,420 502,600 110,300 Skövde Värmekällan 58,610 33,780 182,000 6,900 Stockholm Högdalenverket 614,110 441,530 1,386,090 255,270 Sundsvall Korsta kraftvärmeverk 154,080 65,640 422,890 40,320 Uddevalla Lillesjö Avfallskraftvärmeverk 115,510 49,940 293,580 69,620 Umeå Dåva kraftvärmeverk 150,580 75,300 367,470 80,810 Uppsala Vattenfall AB Värme Uppsala 352,270 205,440 1,121,850 29,590 Västervik* Stegeholmsverket 65,470 10,230 180,950 21,330 Västerås Västerås Kraftvärmeverk 407,160 165,010 1,045,800 279,370 Other incineration of household waste in industrial plant 12,360 Total 5,923,390 2,362,160 15,354,030 2,183,250
* Quantities and energy refer to the average for 2015-2017 Avfall Sverige's statistics include waste incineration plants that accept household waste. Most also accept other waste. The plant in Kil is included despite this definition. The amount of household waste only includes Swedish household waste. The total amount of waste also includes imported waste. Energy recovery relates to total waste, not just household waste.
35 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Energy recovery 2014-2018 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Incineration (tonnes) Household 2,148,640 2,284,210 2,262,610 2,400,440 2,362,160 Other waste 3,549,040 3,491,190 3,740,200 3,749,710 3,561,230 Total 5,697,680 5,775,400 6,002,810 6,150,150 5,923,390
Production (MWh) Heating 14,558,030 14,702,670 15,929,210 16,113,890 15,354,030 Electricity 2,032,040 2,304,610 2,199,830 2,242,370 2,183,250 Total 16,590,070 17,007,280 18,129,040 18,356,260 17,537,280
Slag, bottom ash (tonnes) 953,770 967,700 976,070 992,330 949,840 RGR, fly ash (tonnes) 250,580 265,080 275,940 270,320 258,960
Waste to energy recovery 1985-2018 Energy production from waste 1985-2018
tonnes MWh 8,000,000 20,000,000 7,000,000 6,000,000 15,000,000 5,000,000 10,000,000 4,000,000
3,000,000 5,000,000 2,000,000 1,000,000 0 -85-91 -95 -00 -05 -10 -15 -18 -85--91 -95 -00-05 -10 -15 18 Total amount of waste to energy recovery Total energy production (electricity and heat) Of which household waste Of which heat
36 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Waste treatment plants with landfills
Relates to household waste.
It takes 1 GWh of energy to cover the electricity needs of a city the size 1.4 GWH of Lund (approximately 100,000 HEATING inhabitants) for eight hours. 0.1 GWH ELECTRICITY IN 2018, 32,710 TONNES OF SWEDISH HOUSEHOLD WASTE WENT TO LANDFILL.
Only 0.7 percent of 3 household waste was kg/pers sent to landfill in 2018.
In 2018, waste treatment plants that submit data to Avfall energy recovery is a major part of operations. The plants Web sent a total of 2,043,310 tonnes to landfill, a decrease of sometimes also serve as temporary storage for waste fuel 73,990 tonnes compared to the previous year. However, at and waste that falls under producer responsibility, such as individual plants the total amounts of waste going to landfill paper and glass. Plants often also treat biodegradable waste can vary significantly from year to year, depending on a var- and contaminated excavated material. ying need to send ash and contaminated excavated material When a landfill is full, it is capped with material (often in to landfill. In 2018, 36 plants sent 32,710 tonnes of house- multiple layers) to, inter alia, prevent rainfall from penetrat- hold waste to landfill; another 30 some plants sent only ing the landfill site and becoming contaminated through business waste to landfill. contact with the waste. Today, materials such as slag, sludge, Landfill is the treatment method used for waste that can- ash and contaminated soil are used in the various capping not be treated in any other way, e.g. contaminated materi- layers. Most of the landfill sites closed due to stricter regula- als. At a modern waste treatment plant, material separation tions, introduced in 2008, will be capped by 2030. for processing, for reuse and material recycling, and for
37 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 LANDFILL GAS AND LEACHATE Landfills are built with a bottom barrier layer to make it Landfill gas is the term used for the gas produced at a land- possible to collect and purify leachate. Leachate is defined fill where organic waste was deposited in the past55. The gas as the liquid – usually rainwater – which has been in is approximately 50 percent methane. The rest is carbon contact with the landfill material and flows out of or is dioxide, nitrogen, and small amounts of other gases. Since it retained in a landfill. In 2018, 7.7 million cubic metres of contains methane, it must be collected to reduce its environ- leachate was handled at 97 waste treatment plants. This also mental impact. includes contaminated surface water from operational areas. Since the ban on organic waste going to landfill was intro- All of the water is handled in the same treatment process. duced, the formation of gas at landfill sites has progressively Waste is still sent to landfill at 64 plants with leachate decreased. treatment. Less than half of the plants report that leachate In 2018, approximately 139 GWh of landfill gas was col- is diverted to municipal wastewater treatment plants after lected in total at 52 waste treatment plants, of which 93 various degrees of local treatment. Other plants report that GWh was used for energy. leachate is treated locally before being released to recipi- Energy recovery consisted of 7.2 GWh in the form of elec- ents. Gas and leachate is also collected from closed landfill tricity and the rest in the form of heating. In all, 46 GWh of sites. landfill gas was flared. Flaring does not produce energy but reduces methane emissions.
READ MORE: Avfall Sverige Report D2012:02 Avfall Sverige's landfill handbook Avfall Sverige Report 2015:09 Landfill waste – mapping and possible disposal Avfall Sverige Report 2015:13 Decision-making support for handling landfill emissions during capping Avfall Sverige Report 2016:01 Trends for waste treatment plants with landfill – statistics 2008–2014 Avfall Sverige Report 2016:11 Aired ponds Avfall Sverige Report 2016:32 When is active management of landfill gas no longer necessary? Avfall Sverige Report 2017:04 Decision-making support for recycling granulated slag in specific asphalt-covered construction structures Avfall Sverige Report 2017:28 Characterisation of surface water from different types of activities and waste Avfall Sverige Report 2017:34 Application of the law on tax on waste Avfall Sverige Report 2017:36 Handbook for assessing leachate and contaminated surface water at waste treatment plants Avfall Sverige Report 2018:09 Fire safety during storage of waste fuel Avfall Sverige Report 2018:13 Guidance for classification of incineration residues with calculation methods Avfall Sverige Report 2018:21 Household waste in figures Avfall Sverige Report 2018:25 Microplastic in treated leachate Avfall Sverige Report 2018:36 Increased sorting of construction and demolition waste Avfall Sverige Report 2019:01 Updated assessment grounds for contaminated materials
55 Avfall Sverige Report D2013:02 Landfill gas handbook
38 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Amounts of waste sent to landfill 1994-2018
6 5 4 3 1 -94 - - 5 -1 -15 -1
Landfilled quantities 2014-2018 (tonnes) 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Quantity sent to landfill 1,432,200 1,662,200 1,983,400 2,117,300 2,043,310 of which household waste 32,900 38,300 31,000 23,600 32,710
Avfall Sverige’s landfill statistics do not provide a complete picture of landfill in Sweden. Initially, the idea was to keep statistics on plants that accepted household waste. Today, many of these plants no longer accept household waste. There is some uncertainty about the figures for household waste as it is not always possible to distinguish flows of household waste from other waste.
Energy recovery at landfill sites 2014–2018 (MWh)
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Useful energy 175,300 137,100 140,220 105,780 93,040 of which electrical energy* 17,600 17,800 9,300 18,440 7,210 Flaring 46,600 53,300 36,700 40,170 46,060
* Other energy is used for heating
39 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Plants that send household waste to landfill 2018 Municipality Plant Total of which Useful household waste energy, MWh Alingsås Bälinge 28,890 500 1,410 Arvika Mosseberg 3,180 170 340 Borlänge Fågelmyra 11,260 2,840 450 Borås Sobacken 109,260 120 580 Eslöv Rönneholm 1,290 980 0 Gotland Slite 310 30 0 Grums Karlberg 420 420 0 Hagfors Holkesmossen 3,360 750 10 Helsingborg Filborna 1,350 290 7,570 Huddinge Sofielund 33,090 5,950 1,610 Härnösand Äland 20,850 920 2,870 Hässleholm Vankiva 43,580 90 0 Jönköping Miljöhantering i Jönköping 18,120 630 0 Kalmar Moskogen 32,520 850 20 Karlskrona Mältan 6,780 1,400 0 Karlstad Djupdalen 18,800 2,350 0 Kiruna Kiruna deponi 150 350 0 Klippan Hyllstofta 720 120 1,710 Kramfors Högberget 33,010 340 0 Laholm Ahla 900 340 0 Lidköping Kartåsen 7,100 130 0 Linköping Gärstad 18,620 1,530 0 Ljungby Bredemad 3,800 550 0 Ludvika Björnshyttan 640 440 200 Motala Tuddarp 2,210 120 0 Mönsterås Mörkeskog 600 50 0 Nyköping Björshult 700 230 1,540 Orust Månsemyr 1,030 160 0 Piteå Bredviksberget 18,100 390 0 Skellefteå Degermyran 11,770 360 0 Sunne Holmby 1,190 430 140 Umeå Dåva 109,210 870 0 Uppsala Hovgården 11,280 50 0 Vetlanda Flishult 53,260 3,220 820 Vänersborg Heljestorp 110,630 10 3,070 Västervik Målserum 1,530 190 0 Växjö Häringetorp 11,250 960 880 Örebro Atleverket 24,040 320 6,060 Östersund Gräfsåsen 5,250 1,120 0 Östhammar * Väddika 4,310 2,210 0 Other plants in Avfall Web 1,278,950 63,760 Total 2,043,310 32,770 93,040
The table only reports the plants that send household waste to landfill (and that entered a value in Avfall Web). Avfall Sverige's statistics covers a total of 122 plants. * values from 2017
40 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Customers, charges and costs
Municipalities and producers handle the management of AVERAGE CHARGE household waste. The cost to municipalities is recouped The average annual waste collection charge for a Swedish through a waste collection charge, set by the municipal household in a single-family house was SEK 2,133 (or SEK council. Producers' costs are recouped through a charge on 5.84 per day) in 2018 according to data from Avfall Sverige’s the product. The producers determine what this charge statistics system Avfall Web. Households in apartment should be themselves. blocks paid an average of SEK 1,333, and the average fee for As a rule, the municipality's waste collection charge (aka second homes was SEK 1,295 in 2018. On average, the basic waste management fee) covers the total cost of municipal charge accounts for 45 percent of the total charge for single- waste management, but any deficits that occur may be family houses. funded through taxation. Administration, such as waste Many municipalities that introduced the voluntary planning, customer service, invoicing and information are collection of food waste use the charge as an incentive56. included in the costs. In addition, the charge must cover the Then, for example, households that separate food waste pay cost of service at recycling centres, such as receiving bulky a lower charge than those that choose to leave mixed waste waste and hazardous household waste. for collection. The charge is often divided into a fixed and a variable fee, To achieve a higher recycling rate for waste, several for example one fee for waste collection and one for waste municipalities have introduced a weight-based charge, treatment. According to the prime cost principle in the where households pay an additional rate per kilo of waste Local Government Act, the municipalities’ revenue from the collected on top of the basic charge57. In this case, collection waste collection charges may not exceed their costs for vehicles are equipped with a scale and equipment to identify waste management. each individual bin. The total annual cost for weight-based charges varies depending on the quantity of waste left for collection. The charge varies between SEK 0.90 and SEK 4.25 per kg for residual waste and SEK 0 to SEK 3.80 for a food waste bin, combined with various types of bin charges and the fixed basic charge. 32 of the country's municipalities had a weight-based charge in 2018. Some municipalities with food waste collection have lower weight charges for food waste; in some municipalities it is free.
56 Avfall Sverige Report 2014:09 Guidance for structuring waste charges 57 Avfall Sverige Report U 2014:05 Eco-based charge? A guide to weight-based waste charge prior to decision, for implementation and operation
41 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 The total cost for waste management to municipalities is on Tax on waste sent to landfill was introduced in 2000 as a average SEK 842 per person each year, excluding VAT. The way to reduce landfill. The tax was initially SEK 250 per municipal cost for collecting food and residual waste is on tonne, but has since been raised several times. Since 1 average SEK 288 per person. Treatment of the waste is not January 2015, the landfill tax has been set at SEK 500 per included in this cost. The basic cost averages SEK 365 per tonne of waste. The landfill site operator is liable for the tax. person. The annual basic cost covers factors such as the cost Municipalities often pay a charge to get their waste of recycling centres, the treatment of hazardous household treated. Treatment charges can vary greatly. The charge for waste, planning, information and administration. The cost energy recovery from residual waste continues to rise is generally higher in households of municipalities with compared to 2014, when it was at its lowest. The charge for small populations versus those with large ones58. anaerobic digestion is unchanged, while the charge for composting has decreased. The charge for landfill has INSTRUMENTS OF CONTROL increased after a few years with no movement. There are several national and local mechanisms in place to reduce the environmental impact of waste management, improve resource efficiency and increase recovery. These can be information or administrative and financial instruments. Examples of administrative instruments On average, Swedish households include regulations and prohibitions, such as limits to pay about the cost of a Swedish emissions and prohibiting sending organic waste to landfill. apple per day to have their food and residual waste collected Financial instruments can either be an incentive, for SEK kerbside and to have access to example tax relief and subsidies, or a penalty, for example 5 recycling centres for turning in taxes and charges. One basic principle is that the polluter bulky waste and hazardous waste. should pay.
READ MORE: Avfall Sverige Report 2018:27 Household waste in figures
58 Avfall Sverige Report 2016:29 Calculation of waste management costs in Sweden municipalities
42 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Cost of waste management per person excl. VAT 2014–2018 SEK 1,000
800
600
400 Other costs 200 Treatment, including long distance transport Collection of food and residual waste 0 Basic costs such as service and administration 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 The statistics come from Avfall Web and are based on data from about two-thirds of Sweden’s municipalities.
Treatment charges for household waste in SEK/tonne, excl. VAT 2018
SEK/tonneAnaerobic digestion, food waste Composting, food waste Energy recovery Landfill Average 515 520 530 920 Interval 340-700 420-700 410-680 660-1,380
Source: Avfall Web The treatment charge refers to the median in Avfall Web. The interval shows the normal distribution of waste treatment charges.
Average waste charges per household Treatment fees, excl. VAT 2010–2018, incl. VAT 2010–2018 SEK/tonne SEK incl. VAT/year 2,500 1,000
2,000
800 1,500
1,000 600
500
0 400 -10-11 -12-13 -14--15 16 -17 -18 -10-11 -12-13 -14--15 16 -17 -18 Household in single-family house Landfill Apartment in apartment block Composting, food waste Second home Anaerobic digestion, food waste Energy recovery, residual waste
43 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Total quantity of waste generated in Sweden According to the EU’s Waste Statistics Directive, each mem- and house repairs counts as household waste. Some con- ber state must report its country’s statistics once every two struction and demolition waste is classified as hazardous years. Data on all waste in Sweden can be found in the offi- waste, for example asbestos and impregnated timber, and cial statistics, which are reported to the EU via the Swedish must be handled accordingly. According to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. Environmental Protection Agency's calculations, about one- The latest statistics relate to waste quantities for 201659. third of all waste produced in Sweden is generated by the At that time, 142 million tonnes of waste were generated in construction sector (mining waste excluded). Construction Sweden, of which 2.4 million tonnes were hazardous waste. and demolition waste is therefore prioritised in the national The majority of the generated waste, 77 percent or 110 mil- waste plan and in the waste prevention programme. lion tonnes, consisted of mining waste from the mining The waste hierarchy serves as guidance for how waste is industry. The entire EU generates approximately 2.5 billion treated, and has been integrated in the Environmental Code tonnes of waste each year. (SFS 2016:782) since 2016. The national waste statistics also Businesses are responsible for managing their own include final treatment of waste at the three levels material non-household waste. Some businesses have their own recycling, other recycling (e.g. energy recovery), and dispos- landfill sites at their disposal or can recover energy from al. Sweden's statistics for 2016 are as follows: 6.7 million waste in their own incineration plants. tonnes of waste (of which 226,000 tonnes were hazardous Construction and demolition waste is waste from con- waste) underwent material recycling, 14.7 million tonnes of struction, renovation, rebuilding or demolition of buildings, waste (of which 269,000 tonnes were hazardous waste) were or from more extensive construction work in gardens. The recycled in some other way, and 5.6 million tonnes of waste municipality is not responsible for collecting or handling (of which 841,000 tonnes were hazardous waste) were dis- such waste. However, waste from minor maintenance work posed of. Mining waste is excluded from these statistics.
Total waste generated in Sweden, excl. mining waste 2016 Construction work Total quantity of waste generated in Sweden in 2016, excluding mining Waste management and wholesale trade in scrap waste, reported for different industries Household sector and broken down into non-hazardous Service producers waste and hazardous waste. Quantities are given in tonnes (rounded values). Energy supply The industries that generated the most Metal and metal products waste are reported individuals. The Paper and paper product manufacturing remaining industries are reported Food product production together under Other industries. Agriculture, forestry and fishing Source: Swedish Environmental Engineering industry Protection Agency Other industries 0 5 10 Millions of tonnes Hazardous waste Non-hazardous waste 59 Report 6839 “Waste in Sweden 2016”
44 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Waste agenda 2019 »» From 2021, producers shall offer the collection of »» On 31 December, the Government inquiry “Long-term packaging and recyclable paper from at least 60 percent prospects for biogas” (Dir. 2018:45) will present its of all residential properties. report. »» By no later than 2021, municipalities shall provide systems for collecting source-separated food waste from 2020 households and keeping the food waste separated from »» By June 2020, the revised EU Waste Directive will be other waste when it is transported away. incorporated into Swedish legislation. »» By 2020, at least 50 percent of food waste from 2023 households, large-scale kitchens, stores and restaurants »» Separate collection of biowaste will become mandatory shall be separated and treated biologically to recover (EU requirement). plant nutrients, with at least 40 percent treated to recover energy. 2025 »» By 2020, at least 70 percent by weight of non-hazardous »» At least 55 percent of municipal waste in the EU shall be construction and demolition materials shall be prepared recycled to new material according to the EU recycling for reuse, material recycling or other material utilisation. targets. »» On 10 January 2020, the Government inquiry “Non-toxic »» Separate collection of textiles will become mandatory (EU and circular recycling of phosphorus from sewage sludge” requirement). (M 2018:08) will present its report. »» From 1 April 2025, packaging waste and recyclable paper »» On 31 January 2020, the Government inquiry shall be collected from all residential properties who have “Investigation of negative greenhouse gas emissions” (Dir. not declined collection and removal. 2018:70) will present its report. »» From 1 April 2025, collection of bulky non-standard »» 5 July 2020: The hazardous waste traceability system packaging (large packaging not normally found in a should be ready for data entry. household) will be a requirement. »» 31 December 2020: All relevant organisations should 2030 enter data in the hazardous waste traceability system. »» At least 60 percent of municipal waste in the EU shall be »» On 1 December 2020, the Environmental Objectives recycled to new material according to the EU recycling Preparation Board (Miljömålsberedningen) (M 2010:4) targets. will present its report.
2035 2021 »» At least 55 percent of municipal waste in the EU shall be »» From 2021, plastic products such as plates, disposable recycled to new material according to the EU recycling cutlery, cotton swabs and straws will no longer be sold. targets. The ban extends to fast food packaging made of plastic, »» Maximum 10 percent of waste shall go to landfill. EU styrofoam (EPS) and certain degradable plastics. The ban countries that sent 60 percent or more of their household applies in the EU and when packaging is intended for waste to landfill in 2013 have been granted an extension immediate consumption. of five years.
45 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 About Avfall Sverige
Avfall Sverige is the municipalities’ trade association. Avfall Avfall Sverige represents its members – municipalities, local Sverige’s members ensure that waste is collected and government associations, municipal enterprises and recycled in all Swedish municipalities. municipally-owned regional enterprises in waste and We perform our work on behalf of society: in an recycling. Our members represent the entire population of environmentally sound, sustainable and long-term manner. Sweden. The association also includes about a hundred Our vision is “Zero Waste”. associate members: manufacturers, consultants and We are taking action to prevent waste, promote reuse and contractors active in waste management. ensure that the waste produced is recycled, recovered and managed in the optimal manner. Municipalities and their enterprises are the ambassadors, catalysts and guarantors of this change.
Tony Clark Jessica Christiansen Aylin Farid Managing Director Director of Training and Operational Advisory Consultant for Procurement Telephone: +46 (0)40 35 66 05 Development Issues and Social Policy Advisor Mobile: +46 (0)722-45 22 20 Telephone: +46 (0)40 35 66 18 Mobile: +46 (0)720-62 40 40 [email protected] Mobile: +46 (0)706-69 36 18 [email protected] [email protected] Josefin Berglund Anna-Carin Gripwall Public Relations Officer, Editor of Johan Fagerqvist Director of Communication sopor.nu Technical Advisor for Landfill Mobile: +46 (0)70-662 61 28 Telephone: +46 (0)40 35 66 07 and Waste Treatment Plants [email protected] Mobile: +46 (0)705 35 66 37 Telephone: +46 (0)40 35 66 24 [email protected] Mobile: +46 (0)706-35 69 09 [email protected]
46 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 Åsa Hagelin Britta Moutakis Klas Svensson Advisory Consultant for Waste Advisory Consultant for Reuse and Advisory Consultant for Energy Prevention Recycling Centres and Collection of Recovery and Reuse hazardous waste and WEE Head of Telephone: +46 (0)40 35 66 16 Mobile: +46 (0)70-553 15 45 the Avfall Sverige Yngre network Mobile: +46 (0)705 08 66 17 [email protected] Telephone: +46 (0)40 35 66 14 [email protected] Mobile: +46 (0)703 58 66 14 Henrik Jansson [email protected] Pernilla Svensson Assistant Legal Advisor Course Administrator Takes up his duties in July Jon Nilsson Djerf Telephone: +46 (0)40 35 66 11 See the website for contact details Advisory Consultant for Material [email protected] Recycling, Collection and Transport Karin Jönsson Mobile: +46 (0)70-526 35 27 Marie Umark Editor of Avfall och Miljö [email protected] Finance Assistant, Invoicing, and the newsletter Membership Register, and Telephone: +46 (0)40 35 66 17 Terez Palffy Subscriptions Mobile: +46 (0)706-26 40 99 Substitute Advisory Consultant for Telephone: +46 (0)40 35 66 04 [email protected] Biological Treatment through March [email protected] 2020 Petra Kvist Carlsson Telephone: +46 (0)40 35 66 23 Jenny Westin Course Coordinator Mobile: +46 (0)70-428 12 40 Advisory Consultant for Statistics Telephone: +46 (0)40 35 66 03 [email protected] and Waste Fees [email protected] Telephone: +46 (0)40 35 66 15 Caroline Steinwig Mobile: +46 (0)70-518 40 45 Sven Lundgren on parental leave [email protected] Head Legal Advisor Advisory Consultant for Biological Telephone: +46 (0)40 35 66 09 Treatment Peter Westling [email protected] [email protected] Head of Accounting and Administrative Supervisor Telephone: +46 (0)40 35 66 06 [email protected]
47 │ Swedish Waste Management 2018 ©Avfall Sverige AB
Address Baltzarsgatan 25, SE-211 36 Malmö Telephone +46 (0)40 35 66 00 E-mail [email protected] Website www.avfallsverige.se