Sweden offers innovative solutions and extensive know-how in waste collection and recycling. We are the global leader when it comes to dealing with and recycling waste. The waste-to-energy systems we have developed have given waste a value.
Sweden has extensive and efficient waste management systems in place and municipal waste in landfills is almost non-existent. About 99 per cent of all household waste is recycled as energy or materials, putting Sweden at the top in this area. This is thanks to efforts such as legislation, education for children and adults and economic incentives.
Waste as a resource
Our waste is treated in integrated systems and recycled as district heating, electricity, biogas, biofertilizer and materials. Different treatment methods are used depending on the nature of the waste so as to make it possible to use the waste as a resource.
Waste-to-energy is a method ideally suited to waste that cannot be recycled in any other way. It is an efficient and environmentally safe method for recovering energy from waste, and provides both district heating and electricity in Sweden.
Global leader in waste management
Sweden recovers more energy from each tonne of waste than any other country. Our waste management systems are being developed continuously, and are the result of long-term, persevering work, in particular on the part of municipalities and their companies in cooperation with private players. It has required risk-taking to develop new technologies and taken courage to make large, but essential, investments in infrastructure.
Sweden’s vision of ‘zero waste’ by 2020 permeates all levels of its waste management and the collection of source-separated food waste.
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