The Swedish Waste Management System

Content

Part 1:– Sweden– Avfall Sverige – The Swedish

Association of Waste Management

Part 2– Waste – a Resource– The Development– Responsibilities– Operations

Part 3– Overview Model– Infrastructure– Collection– Recovery and Recycling

Part 4– Waste Economy– Means of Control– Success Factors– Challenges– Vision and Long Term Goals

Part 5– Waste Management on Export

– A new Swedish Platform

Important success factors

Waste management is a public service Clear division of roles and responsibilities Clear national environmental targets showing the direction and

long-term regulations and economical steering instruments Co-operation between municipalities Collaboration between public and private sectors Holistic system view- an integrated part of the sustinable city Co-operation within municipalites (Waste-, Energy-, Water-,

Urban- planning-, etc departements) A system based on source separation with focus on

communication and public engagement A system based on resource recovery

Part 1Sweden

Avfall Sverige – The Swedish Association of Waste Management

Sweden

9,5 million inhabitants

450 000 km2

Avfall Sverige

The Swedish Association of Waste Management400 members, primarily within the public sector, but also private enterprises -service providers for the Swedish citizensNetworking, training and lobbyingNational member of Cewep, ECN, ISWA and Municipal Waste Europe

Part 2

Waste – a ResourceThe Development

ResponsibilitiesOperations

Waste - a resource

Treatment of household waste in Sweden, 2012 (%) and the resources produced from it

Material recyclingBiological recyclingEnergy recoveryLandfill

Treatment of household waste in Sweden, 2012 (%) and the resources produced from it

Material recyclingBiological recyclingEnergy recoveryLandfill

Waste - a resource

2012:• 14,7 TWh district energy

-> 20 % of the total district energy in Sweden - the heating need of 900 000 homes

• 1,7 TWh electricity – the need of 250 000 homes

2012:• 353 GWh vehicle-fuel produced from

foodwaste replaced about 30 millions liters of petrol.

• 725 000 tonnes biofertilizer produced replacing industrial fertilizer

Waste hierarchy

Unique results

Sweden 2010 EU 2010 USA 20100

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Material recyclingBiological recyclingEnergy recoveryLandfill

Towards zero landfilling - a 40 years perspective

62 %

1 %

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

An important part of the energy system

Oil

Waste heat

Biofuels

Waste 5 %

1980

Oil

Carbon

Gas

Waste heat

BiofuelsPeat

Waste

Heatpumps

Electricity

1993

Fossil fuels

Biofuels

Peat

Waste

Electricity

2008

Heatpumps

Wasteheat

Source:

District energy in Sweden – fuel supply:

An important part of the energy system

Source:

District energy in Sweden – fuel supply:

Fossil fuel

Biofuels

Peat

Waste

Electricity

Heatpumps

Waste heat

Municipal waste planning compulsory

Towards zero landfilling

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

Household waste to landfill per year (tonnes)

National target on food waste recycling

50 %

Clear division of roles and responsibilities

Producers: • Collection and treatment

of waste within the Producers Responsibility

Citizens/households: • Separation and

leave/transport waste at indicated collection points

Municipalities:• Collection and treatment of

municipal waste

Companies/Industries: • Handling of own

generated waste

Plans, regulators, permissions and supervisionNational 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 (21 counties) County Administrative Board - government authority:

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

Municipal level (290 municipalities) Municipal authorithies:

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

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

Organisation: About 50 % municipal companies

Collection: 73 % outsourcing (mainly to private companies)

Treatment: About 65% outsourcing (mainly to municipal companies)

Owner-ship of waste incinerators

Municipally owned plant– Co-owned regional

waste company (2 out of 32)

– Full-owned energy company

– Full-owned multi-utility company

Privatly owned plant (4,5 out of 32)

Clear division of roles and responsibilities

Private and public waste management sector

• Knowledge- and Equipment supply

• Treatment- and Collection services

Responsibility Implementation and operation

Producers

Citizens/households

Municipalities

Companies/Industries

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

Thru• Common municipal waste

company (20 regional companies in Sweden)

• Common municipal waste association (8 associations in Sweden with totally 28 municipalities)

• Common board (4 common boards in Sweden with totally 9 municipalities)

• Common procurement on specific issues matters

Part 3Overview Model

InfrastructureCollection

Recovery 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

Long tradition of reuse through flea markets, second hand, collection at recycling parks, etc

Deposit fee system for bevarage containers/bottles

Foodwaste, textiles, electronical and demolition waste in focus – goals proposed

Largest challenge: decoupling between generated waste and economic growth

Resource recovery focus Quality Source

separation

Resource recovery

focusQuality

Source separation

Secure handling of hazardous

waste

InfrastructureCollection of waste from households based on source separation Curb side collection 5 800 unmanned recycling drop-off

stations 630 manned drop-off recycling centers

Treatment and recycling of waste based on the charcter of the waste 60 organic waste facilities 34 waste to energy plants 78 landfills

Collection

Collection of waste from households based on source separation

Curbside collection for combustible and food waste (and sometimes packaging and paper)

5 800 unmanned recycling drop-off stations for for packaging and paper

630 manned drop-off recycling centers for bulky, electronical and hazardous waste

Various solutions for hazardous waste collection

Innovation and trends in collection

Multi compartment collection vessels Optical sorting Vehicles on biogas Automated vacuum systems Underground containers

Infrastructure

Treatment and recycling of waste based on the character of the waste

60 organic waste facilities 34 waste to energy plants 78 landfills

Recycling centers

A system based on resource focus

Combustible wasteFood waste

ProductsDistrict energy

BiofertilizerBiogas Electricity

Hazardous waste

Direct environmental

benifit

Petrol saved and industrial fertilizer saved

Fossil and other fuels saved

Virgin materials and energy saved

Environmental protection costs saved

Materials

A system based on resource focus

Combustible wasteFood waste

ProductsDistrict energy

BiofertilizerBiogas Electricity

Hazardous waste

Direct environmental

benifit

Petrol saved and industrial fertilizer saved

Fossil and other fuels saved

Virgin materials and energy saved

Environmental protection costs saved

Materials

2012• 13 TWh district energy -

> 20 % of the total district energy in Sweden / the heating need of 900 000 homes

• 1,7 TWh electricity -> need of 250 000 homes

2012:• 353 GWh vehicle-fuel

produced from foodwaste replaced about 30 millions liters of petrol.

• 725 000 tonnes biofertilizer produced replacing industrial fertilizer

Production of biogas and bio-fertilizer

The most increasing treatment method

58 plants Energy recovery by the

production of biogas used as a vehicle-fuel

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

During 2012, 353 GWh vehicle-fuel was produced from foodwaste replacing about 30 millions liters of petrol. 725000 tonnes biofertilizer is produced 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 2012:District heating: 13 TWhElectricity: 1,7 TWh(including industral waste)

Energy recovery of waste

34 plants: Receiving 50 000 – 700

000 tonnes yearly (2012: 32 plants)

Recovering yearly (2012: 32 plants)

– totally 5 042 000 tonnes – of which 2 270 000 tonnes

municipal waste Gate fee approx 370-710

SEK/tonnes (average 500 SEK)

The most energy efficient plants in the world

0,0

0,5

1,0

1,5

2,0

2,5

3,0

Sweden

Czech Republic

Denmark

Norway

Finland

Switz

erland

The Netherlands

Germany

Hungery

France Ita

lySp

ain

Belgium

Portuga

l

Austria

Great Brit

ain

MWh/ton Electricity

Heat

Recovered energy per tonne household waste incinerated

If industrial waste was included in the diagram the Swedish result would be almost 3 MWh/tonnes

Efficient and clean waste incineration

Clean waste incineration

Most emissions decreased with 90-99 % since 1985:– Strict emission

regulations – Fee on NOx

(nitrooxygen)

Reduced weight and volume

• 15-20 weight% bottom ash• 3-5 weight% fly ash

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 4Waste Economy

Means of ControlSuccess Factors

ChallengesVision and Long Term Goals

Waste economy

Municipal waste: All costs covered by

municipal waste fees (not by taxes)

The fee is 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

The fee is decided by the producers

Waste fee

Average yearly fee per household 2011:

• Houses: 220 EUR• Flats: 140 EUR

Average daily fee per household

Costs for municipal waste management

Cost for municipal waste management, 2010, average

Curb side collec-tion, residual

waste32%

Treatment, residual waste

22%

Recycling cen-ters, including

hazardous waste29%

Curb side collec-tion, bulky waste

1%

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 Clear national environmental targets

showing the direction and long-term regulations and economical steering instruments

Co-operation between municipalities Collaboration between public and private

sectors Holistic system view- an integrated part

of the sustinable city Co-operation within municipalites

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

A system based on source separation with focus on communication and public engagement

A system based on resource recovery

Material recyclingBiological recyclingEnergy recoveryLandfill

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)

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

Swedish Waste Management on Export

A new Swedish platform built on co-operation between the public and private waste management sector

SosExpo Warszawa Mars 2013

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 the public and the private waste management sector.

A strategy based on cooperation

A network of actors in the public and private waste management sector in Sweden: - Municipalities/municipal companies- Knowledge suppliers- Technlogy suppliers

A strong Swedish platform with a unique mix of competences

Swedish Waste Management on Export

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

• Information about swedish waste management in english : www.avfallsverige.se/in-english

• Information about the national platform for export of knowledge and technology: www.avfallsverige.se/in-english/export

Contact and information