The Swedish Waste Management System

Part 1

SwedenAvfall Sverige – Swedish Waste Management

Sweden

9,4 million inhabitants

450 000 km2

Avfall Sverige – Swedish Waste Management

An organisation in the Waste Management and Recycling Sector

400 members, primarily within the public sector, but also private enterprises

Through our members, we represent 99,9 % of the Swedish population

Our primary task is to represent and develop members by

• creating networks,

• providing information and training,

• and influencing decision-makers

Member of Cewep, ECN, ISWA and Municipal Waste Europe

Avfall Sverige – Swedish Waste Management

Our members

•are responsible for municipal waste management

•provide services for other waste categories

•represent an important part of the infrastructure in the society

We – together - are aiming towards an environmentally

correct and sustainable waste management, for the benefit of

society

Part 2

Waste – a ResourceThe Development

ResponsibilitiesOperations

Waste - a resource

Treatment of household waste in Sweden, 2011 (%)

LandfillEnergy recoveryBiological treatmentRecycling (material)

Waste hierarchy

Unique results

Sweden 2010 EU 2010 USA 20100

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Recycling (material)Biological treatmentEnergy recoveryLandfill

The development

Important steps of development

Late 1800:Cholera-epidemic - start of municipal waste management

1950’s: District heating systems developed

1970’s and 80’s:Oil crises - waste is being used for district heating

Municipal waste planning compulsory

Important steps of development

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

Producers’ responsibility introduced

Landfill taxintroduced

Ban on landfill of combustible waste

Ban on landfill of organic waste and national target on food waste

Household waste to landfill per year (tonnes)

On-going national overview

Clear division of responsibilities

Producers: • Collection and treatment

of waste within the Producers Responsibility

Waste generator:• Citizens/households: Separation and leave/transport

waste at indicated collection points• Companies/Industries: Handling of own generated

waste

Municipalities:• Collection and treatment of

municipal waste • Information to households

Parliament/GovernmentSupervisory Authorities

Authorities and agenciesNational level Parliament

National environmental targets The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency

National waste plan Produces national legislation and guidelines

National environmental courts (5 plus one superior): Gives permissions to larger treatment plants

Regional level County Administrative Board - government authority (21 counties):

Regional environmental targets Permissions and control for most treatment plants Supervision of the regional treatment capacity

Municipal level Municipal authorithies:

Local enviroenmental targets Local waste plans and regulations Permissions and control of smaller treatment plants

Operations

Municipalities deal with their responsibility in different ways and design their own waste management organisation

Administration: Almost 50% have formed municipal waste

management companies

Collection of municipal waste: 30% inhouse operation 70% contract to private operators

Treatment of municipal waste: 35% inhouse operation 65% contract to other operators, mainly municipally owned

Co-operation

Co-operation – the solution to an increasingly complex waste management:

• Optimizing environmental and social benifit

• Handle the waste in a cost-effecient way

• Securing competence

Part 3

Overview ModelInfrastructure

CollectionRecovery and Recycling

Overview model

Housholds or companies

Waste prevention

Collection and transportRecycling stationsRecycling centers

Curbside collection

MaterialrecyclingBiological recycling

Energy recoveryLandfill

New products:Biogas, new materials,

district heating, electricity, bio-fertilizer

Public awarness - a success factor

Key messages and tools for motivation and to facilitate collaboration:

– Communication– Development of self instructive systems– Feed back of the results and that ”what I do

matters”– Emphasize on the waste holders

responsibility and participation

Waste prevention in Sweden

99 % material recycling or energy recovery today more focus on waste prevention

Information, knowledge and behaviour success factors Long tradition of reuse through flymarkets, second hand,

collection at recycling parks, etc Largest challenge: decoupling between generated waste

and economic growth

Generated household waste in Sweden is predicted to double 2010-2030 (Swedish EPA)Generated waste world wide is predicted to rise with 72 % 2010-2025(What a Waste-A global review of Solid Waste Management, mars 2012, World Bank Group)

Infrastructure

Collection of waste from households based on source separation Curb side collection 630 manned drop-off recycling centers 5 800 unmanned recycling drop-off

stations

Treatment and recycling of waste based on the charcter of the waste 58 organic waste facilities 32 waste to energy plants 79 landfills

Recycling centers

Recycling and treatment

Different treatment methods depending on the character of the waste,makes it possible to use the waste as a resource

Combustible wasteFood waste Materials

New products District heatingBiofertilizerBiogas Electricity

Production of biogas and bio-fertilizer

The most increasing treatment method

Energy recovery by the production of biogas used as a vehicle-fuel

Recycling of nutritions to farming-land by the production of bio-fertilizer

Source separation and quality assurance key words

During 2011, 322 GWh vehicle-fuel was produced from foodwaste replacing about 30 millions liters of petrol. 600,000 tonnes fertilizer is replaced with biofertilizer yearly in Sweden.

Generation of district heating and electricity

Covers around 20 % of the total district heating in Sweden, equals the needs of 900 000 homes

Produces electricity corresponding to the needs of 250 000 homes

Advanced and secure flue gas treatment

Most of the rest-products can be recycled

Total energy production 2011:District heating: 13,5 TWhElectricity: 2 TWh(including industral waste)

Efficient and clean waste incineration

From landfills to modern recycling facilities

(Illustrator: Per Josefsson)

An integrated part of a holistic system

Products

Material recycling

Waste

Incineration

Landfill

Vehicle fuel

Biogas Cooling/ heating production

Biosolids

Farms

Sewage water cleaning

Anaerobic digestion

Electricity productionOther fuels

Households

Part 4

Waste EconomyMeans of ControlSuccess Factors

Vision and Long Term Goals

Waste economy

Municipal waste: All costs covered by

municipal waste fees (not by taxes)

Tariffs decided by each municipal board

Non-profit Allowed to be differentiated

to encourage source separation for recycling

Municipal waste within producers’ responsibility: Costs covered by a

fee added to the price of every product

Waste fee

Average yearly fee per household 2011:

• Houses: 240 EUR• Flats: 150 EUR

Average daily fee per household

Costs for municipal waste management

Cost for municipal waste management, 2010, average

Curb side collec-tion, resudial waste

32%

Treatment, resudial waste22%

Recycling centers, including haz-ardous waste

29%

Curb side col-lection, bulky

waste1%

Administration and information

14%

Others4%

Means of control

Environmental objectives Government regulations, bans, and taxes, for

example: Tax on landfilling (since 2000) Ban on landfilling of combustible waste since 2002 Ban on landfilling of organic waste since 2005

Differentiated municipal waste tariffs Municipal waste planning

and regulations Information and

communication

Important success factors

Waste management is a public service Clear division of roles and

responsibilities enable necessary investments

Clear national environmental targets showing the direction

Long-term regulations and economical steering instruments

Co-operation between municipalities Co-operation within municipalites

(Waste-, Energy-, Water-, Urban- planning-, etc departements)

Collaboration between public and private sectors

Focus on communication and public engagement

Avfall Sverige’s vision

BNP

Economic growth

Generated waste

Zero waste!

Long-term goals until 2020:

Decoupling between generated waste and economic growth

Strong upward movement in waste hierarchy

Part 5

Waste Management on Export – A new Swedish Platform

Aim with the new platform

To facilitate the export of Swedish knowledge about

waste management, products and services within

the waste sector, through cooperation among municipalities, municipal companies and the private sector.

A strategy based on cooperation

Swedish waste management- municipalities- municipal companies- private companies (technology suppliers and knowledge suppliers)

One strong platform with a unique combination of competences

What we are doing

Defining offers to form a product catalogue Making an inventory of resources matching the offers Developing business models for co-operation between municipalities and companies in order to be able to form the strongest offer Preparing a routine for canalize and asset incoming requests Taking part in pilot projects in different countries to be able to further develop our models and routines

Offers

Questions

1. ”How do we find the form/organisation to achieve what we want with our waste management system?”

2. ”How should we form our waste management system on an overview level?”

3. ”We are in the need of treatment capacity, but we do not have the funds or time to prioritize to build up all capacity right now”

Matching offers

Management on local, regional and cluster level: Co-operation, organization, waste economy, tax fee construction, etc

Waste management in sustainable urban development: System design, waste planning, solutions for collection- and sorting systems

Providing treatment capacity (incluing solutions for logistics) as a transfer solution.

Offers

Questions

4. ”We know what we want to build, but we need support in setting up the plant/facility.”

5. ”We have got a plant/ facility. But we want to improve in running and maintain it, and get the most out of it.”

6. ”We want to reach the public, the decision makers or other stakeholders with our message.”

7. ”We want to train our personnel.”

Matching offers Setting up different waste

facilities: Financing possibilities, feasibility studies, procurement, construction, etc

Operation, support and optimization of different waste facilities

Communication and campaigns (raise awareness)

Training courses overseas or in Sweden, offer internship possibilities.

Swedish Waste Management on Export

Project leader:Jenny Åströmjenny.astrom@avfallsverige.se+46-70-5136612

Working group chair:Thomas Nylundthomas.nylund@gastrikeatervinnare.se+46-26-178489

avfallsverige.se/in-english/waste-management-on-export/

Contact and information