Avfallsprojekt Östersunds kommun : Avfallshantering och avfallsminskning i livsmedelsverksamheter

Waste is high up on the list when evaluations been done over the seriousness, size and trend of environmental aspects in the municipality of Östersund, Sweden. Environmental inspections are of need to reduce waste and reach a higher extent of waste separation. The board of environment and society have given the inspection authority the assignment to carry out a waste treatment project to evaluate if food operations fulfill the legislation demands on how to handle their waste in purpose of improving waste separation and reducing food waste. The environmental legislation in Sweden obliges everyone to prevent that people’s health and the environment gets negatively affected by the activities done. The legislation also obliges everyone to decrease, reuse and recycle waste. 29 food operations, who had the highest amount of registered food containers, have been inspected and interviewed with a questioning form and brochures with information and suggestions on how to separate waste and decrease food waste have been given out. Only two operations deviated from the legislation. There were ten operations that hade a complete separation of waste. 21 operations believed that the waste handling could improve and 13 operations where already working with reducing the amount of waste. All operations were working with reducing food waste and wanted to be able to minimize it even more. The outcome was positive with willingness to improve. But the awareness of legislation was low and the knowledge of why work is needed for the environment must get higher.