The connection between the issue of food waste and its collection for biogas : A case study in the municipality of Stockholm

Reduction is the best way of handling the issue of food waste, however, considering the difficulties of achieving reduction, a collection of waste for a potential decrease was established. The thesis consist of an examination between two subjects, the issue of food waste and the waste management system of collecting food waste to produce biogas, where the main focus is upon the municipality of Stockholm. The purpose of the study was to analyze the issue of food waste and connect it to the process of collecting food waste to produce biogas, and examine the potential benefits and conflicts between these two topics. The aim was also to investigate the process possibilities and functionality, and how the procedure is operating in the municipality of Stockholm. Besides a litterature study, four interviews were conducted with respondents from authorities and the municipality. The results show that the process of collecting food waste to produce biogas is a great procedure. It is a good alternative for the environment and generates to a substitute towards fossil fuel. However, whether the process is a benefit for the issue of food waste seems to be rejected. There are also difficulties of apprehending the connection between the two subjects, since they are seen as topics that lie collaterally to each other. In the municipality of Stockholm, the process function within the section of restaurants, however, it is not that fortunate within households. The factors of simplicity, profitability and trust are the main features threatening the success of the process of collecting food waste to produce biogas. One may presume that the goal/requirement firsthand is to focus upon reduction of food waste. However, there seems to be a shift from consuming less (reduce the waste) to consuming differently (reuse the waste) nowadays, hence the process of collecting food waste to produce biogas is central