SWEDISH WASTE MANAGEMENT |2010 - Avfall Sverige

SWEDISH WASTE MANAGEMENT 2010
PREFACE
Waste management is an important part of
the infrastructure of the society and of the
society’s use of raw material, nutritional substances
and energy. Through the right waste
treatment, we can contribute to preventing
climate changes and use waste as a resource.
Here are some examples:
• Energy recycling through incineration –
Waste-to-Energy – gives heating and electricity,
and waste will thus replace fossil
fuels.
• Separated food waste that goes to digestion
gives both biogas, which can be used for
vehicle fuel, and digestate, which is an
excellent nutritional substance.
• Recycled material saves energy and replaces
virgin raw materials.
In 2009, household waste volumes
decreased by close to 5 percent compared to
the year before. 98.6 percent of the household
waste is recycled, only 1.4 percent goes to
landfills. The waste quantity that goes to landfill
has decreased by 50 percent compared to
2008.
The quantity of treated household waste
amounted to 4,485,600 tons. Divided over
the population, each Swedish resident produces
480.2 kg of waste per year. In 2008,
the quantity of treated household waste
amounted to 4,731,660 tons, or 511.2 kg per
person.
Reduced waste volumes is something that
Sweden, and all of Europe needs to strive for
also in the long term. Through the Framework
Directive for waste, the EU requires the member
states to take measures to prevent the
production of waste. The member states shall
bring forward waste reduction plans which aim
at reducing the waste volumes by 2020. At the
national level, Avfall Sverige – Swedish Waste
Management is one of the actors in this process.
Together with the Swedish Environmental
Protection Agency, we run a three-year project
called ”European Week for Waste Reduction”
which aims at raising awareness of the waste
policy within the EU and the member states,
and show the direct effect that consumption
has on the environment and on the greenhouse
effect. It is also essential to emphasize
the correlation between waste minimization
and sustainable development.
The annual report ”Swedish Waste
Management”, is published by Avfall Sverige
for the 12 th year in a row. It briefly describes
how household waste management works in
Sweden. Factual information that has been
updated based on the latest available statistics,
is presented in text, figures and tables.
The statistics given in ”Swedish Waste
Management 2010” is collected from the webbased
statistics system, Avfall Web, and from
the producers’ organizations.
Avfall Web was launched by Avfall Sverige
– Swedish Waste Management in the spring of
2008, due to local authorities’ request of a
system which enabled comparisons, follow-up
and statistics intended for waste planning.
Avfall Web also gives access to basic data for
complete national waste statistics.
The report “Swedish Waste Management” is
intended for those active in the waste industry,
decision-makers, authorities, educational
institutions, media, and other interested parties.
Malmö, June 2010
Weine Wiqvist,
Managing Director Avfall Sverige
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