From waste management to resource efficiency : Sweden's Waste Plan 2012–2017

We have good reason to be proud of waste management in Sweden. Landfill is no longer a primary method for the disposal of waste. Instead, an increasing proportion of waste is treated to recover energy and materials and enable reuse. Rules and routines have been established which set out how hazardous waste is to be dealt with and we have producers who take responsibility. However, good needs to become better within many areas - a lot remains to be done to limit the quantity of waste that is generated and to prevent the spreading of hazardous substances. Establishing systems for sustainable waste management and the effective natural resource management represents a major challenge given rising levels of consumption and cross-border global trade.This waste plan identifies a series of initiatives which must be implemented on the road to a more resource-efficient society. To a greater extent than previous waste plans, this plan places more emphasis on the need to reduce the quantity and hazardous nature of waste through preventing its generation in the first place. This is an area that is supported by the EU's waste hierarchy, which gives preventive work the highest priority. Experience shows that the most effective way of reducing resource consumption and environmental impact is to prevent the waste from being generated in the first place. Although recycling restores resources, it can only compensate for a minor proportion of the resources that are consumed and the environmental impact that arises in connection with the manufacture of new products. The plan sets out a number of priority areas where measures are needed. The environmental impact of the waste flows and the potential for improvement guided the selection of areas. Descriptions of objectives and the measures that can be implemented by various actors are presented within the following areas:❚ Waste management within the construction and engineering sector❚ Household waste❚ Resource efficiency in the food-chain❚ Waste treatment❚ Illegal export of wasteThe measures are aimed at both public authorities and operators. Around forty actors are affected; see the appendix entitled 'Measures per actor'. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and Sweden's municipalities have important roles to play in the development of waste management and are affected by most measures. The aim is to rectify many of the problems that are currently associated with waste. This includes food wastage, insufficient sorting of building materials, the leakage of hazardous substances from endof-life vehicles and the illegal export of waste. The plan is intended to supplement the Environmental Code and other waste legislation and to contribute to the attainment of relevant objectives within the environmental objective system. The plan's objectives are based on legislation within the EU1 and are intended to bring about better resource efficiency and waste management. The government's interim objective for construction and demolition waste is for reuse, recycling and other material utilisation of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste to increase to 70 percent by weight by 2020. This figure is currently around 50 percent. The government has also established an interim objective for 2018 of increased sorting and biological treatment of food waste.There is considerable scope for environmental benefits within the field of household waste. This field encompasses many of the waste types which have the greatest impact on climate during their life-cycle. Examples are food, electrical and textile waste. The proposals in the plan include a strong initiative to increase recycling and reuse through information concerning possible environmental benefits, a review of applicable legislation and the promotion of partnerships with actors which collect and sell used products. In the plan, we present possible measures for increasing the collection of food waste and for reducing the amount of food waste. Examples of measures within other priority areas are: better supervision of end-of-life vehicles, preparation of an inventory and risk classification of landfill sites (Waste treatment) and inspections (Illegal export of waste).For many areas, promising initiatives and good examples with the purpose of inspiring others are presented. A wide-ranging dialogue with actors within waste management, research institutions and experts within various authorities forms the basis for the proposed measures in the plan. The approach to preparing the waste plan is described in Appendix Approach