SRV’s recycling Sofielund in Huddinge, outside Stockholm. Photo: David Magnusson
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Conceived up 300 000 trucks filled to the brim with garbage from countries such as Norway, the UK and Ireland – and then set course for Sweden. There will be 820 trucks a day loaded with 8 tons of garbage each, which delivers waste to Sweden.
When you get a picture of how extensive the Swedish sopimporten is. In 2014 we imported 2.34 million tons of garbage, according to preliminary statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency. The absolute majority of the rubbish – around 85-90 percent – goes to the nation waste incineration plants.
The reason for importing is simple. The debris is worth gold. Or maybe even better formulated, oil worth. Waste has become an increasingly popular fuel to produce heating or electricity.
And it is no wonder. The waste is energy-rich, three tonnes of waste contains on average as much energy as one ton of oil.
But unlike from oil, it does not cost money to buy into the garbage. On the contrary: the country’s power plants are paid for receiving waste. About 400 dollars per tonne specifically. In round figures were therefore the country CHP SEK 800 million last year, to burn other countries’ waste.
In addition, they are paid at the other end, when the waste incineration produces electricity and heat.
Photo: Jan T. Espedal
With such an economic equation, it is perhaps no wonder that many Swedish municipalities are investing heavily on burning garbage – far more than the Swedish waste enough. And where will the imports into the picture. Since 2005 the amount of waste that run to Sweden for energy recovery, as it is called, even quadrupled.
Today, Sweden , one of Europe’s foremost waste incinerator – a brilliant deal for Swedish people, according Weine Wiqvist, president of the trade organization Waste Sweden.
– There will be profit at all stages. Using waste as fuel, we get such a competitive price for district heating and electricity as possible, he says, and continues:
– But really it’s not about the import of waste, but to sell a service to other countries . Sweden make money on this, there is an export service like Spotify or whatever.
And above all: waste can be used as fuel instead of ending up in landfill sites, which are option in many other countries. At the same time, one can use less fossil fuels in district heat production.
But not everyone is agreed on the Swedish sopimportens excellence. Especially not in Norway, where half of all household waste is exported to Sweden – while they own waste incinerator contend with waste deficiency, which you can read about in the article to the right.
The country’s recycling industry is also among those who denounced the sharp increase in the burning of waste.
– We fires already too much, and much of it fired could be recycled and become new materials instead. Instead, as you continue to build new facilities. It is strange, says Britt Sahleström, president of the trade organization Recycling Industries, to SvD Enterprise.
According to the British Sahleström is the sharp increase in waste imports is a sign that the instruments available today fail. There should be more carrots control towards increased recycling instead, she likes – for example requirements that you must not burn unsorted waste. In other words, everything that can be recycled are sorted out before the waste ends up in incinerators.
The publication of the article series # sopaffären occurs along with Schibsted-owned Aftenposten.
Waste Imports increased
In 2014, Sweden imported 2.34 million tonnes of waste. The majority, 85-90 percent went to the combustion of different types of waste incinerators. Approximately 0.6-0.7 million tonnes were so-called mono fractions, ie high quality waste in the form of, for example wood chips or rubber. Approximately 1.5-1.6 million tonnes was garbage that went to waste incineration plants specialize in just waste.
Source: Environmental Protection Agency and Waste Sweden.
But the fact is that the situation today is rather the opposite. Sometimes may even waste incineration in Sweden compete recycling. Firstly, in our neighboring countries, where it may be more economical to pay Sweden to take care of the waste than to invest in recycling. And second here in Sweden – but then when it comes to waste. Companies may prefer to pay incinerators to handle the waste they produce, instead of recycling it.
And later also thinks Weine Wiqvist on Waste Sweden that it may be a problems.
– When it comes to business waste may affect the pricing incentives for recycling, unlike the household who is more determined by national overall targets for increased recycling. If it is perceived as a social problem, then get the legislators to control up there, he says, and adds:
– But energy-wise and environmentally, energy recovery is generally very good, I find it hard to understand the criticism.
Swedish import of waste in tonnes
2007: 617 810
2008: 703 162
2009: 827 183
2010: 1,339,592
2011: 1,526,462
2012: 1,786,120
2013: 2,138,746
2014 2,342,722 (provisional figures)
Source: Environmental Protection Agency.
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