Technical Development of Waste Sector in Sweden: Survey

MASTER’S THESIS IN ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES RESEARCH
5. RESULTS & DISCUSSIONS
The study has covered three different aspects consisting of analysis of the key drivers responsible for
waste technology development, identification of emerging waste treatment technologies for Sweden
and analysis of environmental burdens of emerging technology through LCA model. The results of
the study are presented in three different sections below:
1. Waste management development drivers
2. Emerging waste treatment technologies for Sweden
3. LCA of emerging technology
5.1 Waste Management Development Drivers
Waste management sector involves multidisciplinary issues and development of waste technologies
includes different social, economical, environmental and technological aspects. There are two type of
drivers that acting technical development of waste sector in Sweden: a) local drivers and 2) global
drivers. Some of the drivers are working from the local level whereas the other is acting in the global
level. Brief descriptions of the driving actors, based on the Swedish context are given below
5.1.1 Socio-economic drivers
Indigenous or local people’s practices have significant influence in waste management system.
Historically, people adopt with the time and depending on the local culture, they are habituated with
different practices. For example, people sorted out things from early of the history depending on the
value (monetary or nonmonetary value) that the things might posses. Generation of waste is
depending on the consumption of the resources and result shows that, generation of waste is
influenced by the economical growth of a country. Waste management system is always related with
public health. Therefore, from the public health safety perspective, development of waste
management has influenced significantly.
5.1.2 Environmental drivers
Global climate change is one of the leading environmental problems, which is kept in mind forevery
development strategies in the recent years. Emission of hazardous gases in the atmosphere like
Carbon dioxide, SOx, NOx, heavy metal or dioxins emission from the waste management facilities
are the leading environmental cancers of technical development in waste sector. In the early of the
waste management system in Sweden, dioxin emission as well as other air emissions has significant
impact on environment compared to the present technological development. Environmental
awareness and regulation of standard emission limits to air or water lead the improvement of
technology of waste management system in Sweden. Carbon emissions to atmosphere and leachate
pollution to the ground water from landfill are still the major sources of environmental pollution in
Sweden. Therefore, environmental awareness and safety lead to the development of emerging
technologies in waste sector.
KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HÖGSKOLAN
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