1. Waste Management in Sweden
Gunnel Klingberg
legal adviser
RVF - Swedish Association of Waste Management
Prostgatan 2
S Malmö, Sweden
phone:
fax:

2. Swedish Waste legislation:
Environmental Act from 1999
Implements European environmental legislation but also a result of 30 years of progressive environmental policy
Regulations by the government
Site specific permits
Waste management including hazardous waste
Landfill ban on sorted combustible waste (2002) and organic waste (2005)
Waste incineration
Producers’ responsibility: packaging waste, scrap paper, electrical and electronic waste, cars, tyres. Joint responsibility with the municipalities regarding batteries.
Ordinances from state authorities
Same waste definition as in Waste framework directive (75/442/EEC)

3. Legal responsibilities
Municipalities
– municipal solid waste (household waste and similar)
– industrial hazardous waste (voluntary)
Producers
– packaging, waste paper, tyres, cars
– electric- electronic waste
Business
– all other waste
Waste holder has legal responsibility to insure the waste treats in a health- and environmentally acceptable way.

4. Municipal responsibility
Collect and transport away household waste from the municipality to recovery or disposal.
Household waste excluding waste under producers’ responsibility (primarily packaging waste) but includes batteries, freezer and fridge
Planning, budget, execution (voluntary)
Public procurement
Municipal fees cover cost of waste management, to be paid by property owner to municipality

5. Household waste
Environmental code ch §: Household waste shall mean waste from households and similar waste from other activities
Includes all wastes from all households (bin/sack-waste, food waste. latrine, sludge, furniture, bikes, garden waste, electrical waste, medicine, hazardous waste…
Similar waste from industries, shops and other activities where the waste is similar as from households, I.e. cantinas, restaurants, toilets
Excludes waste from building and demolition (renovation?), cars, ammunition, large batteries…
Also excluding food processing industry, storage…

6. Swedish waste 4 211 290 ton household waste 2003) 470 kg/inhabitant
Increased ,2 % and %

7. Waste treatment Household waste: Total 4,2 Mton/a
Material Recycling %
Biological Treatment %
Incineration with Energy recovery 45 %
Landfill %
Hazardous waste %
Landfilling (non-internal industrial plants) Total 4.6 Mton/a
Combustible Mton/a
Organic Mton/a (non combustible)

8. Present situation - executors
municipal/private
Municipal solid waste, similar
• Collection: /60%
• Recovery and Disposal: 95/5%
Producers responsibility
• Collection, households: 30/70%
• Collection. businesses: 5/95%
• Recycling/recovery 5/95%
Business waste
• Collection 5/95%
• Recycling 2/98%
• Recovery/disposal 20/80%

9. Environmental objectives - waste policy
Minimise generation of waste and reduce the hazardousness of waste
The quantity of landfill waste, excluding mining waste, will be reduced by at least 50 % by 2005 compared with At the same time as the total quantity of waste generated does not increase.
All landfill sites will conform to uniform standards by 2008 and will meet stringent environmental requirements in accordance with Council directive on the landfill of waste.
At least 35 % of food waste from households, restaurants, institutional kitchens and shops will by 2010 be recovered through biological treatment. Includes source separated waste to home composting as well as central treatment plants.

10. Active tools
Landfill tax € 40/ton Landfilling reduced by 45 % since 1994
Landfill ban on sorted combustible waste 2002 Landfill ban on organic waste Exemptions granted for large quantities of waste due to lack of treatment capacity
Extended producers’ responsibility increasing material recycling
Information
Legislation

11. Expectations for 2006-2008 Increase in material recycling
Increase (+ 80 %) of biological treatment (composting and digestion)
Increased (+ 50 %) incineration
Extreme drop of landfill
Increased source separation, all waste types