Sweden and 17 other countries have been warned by the EU for not meeting the requirements for how much waste should be recycled. The goal for 2025 will be missed, but now the focus is on achieving the 2035 goal of 65 percent material recycling.
Sweden has become worse at recycling – particularly when it comes to plastic and paper packaging, says Romina Pourmokhtari (L).
To speed up the pace, the Climate and Environment Department has investigated the issue and now a number of proposals will be sent out for consultation.
We need to be smarter with the resources we have. We must both reuse more of what we have and recycle it to a higher degree, says the Climate Minister.
Collect more
The reason why the EU and the government are focusing on waste recycling is that raw material extraction accounts for half of global climate emissions and four-fifths of biodiversity loss.
If we continue to use packaging and products the way we do now – throwing them away and discarding them – then we will have fewer species on our planet and we will have a warmer planet, says Pourmokhtari.
The reuse should increase by collecting more from households for reuse and increasing the service when it comes to household waste.
The aim is to make it easier for households, says department head Charlotta Fred, who led the investigation.
The municipality should offer a service so that you can easily hand in your waste. It should become easier to reuse and recycle.
May become more expensive
So will it become more expensive for households if the proposals are implemented?
That remains to be seen. It's clear that it may involve some costs, but we from politics are willing to discuss it, says Pourmokhtari.
Several of the proposals aim to make it clearer who is responsible for recycling.
For example, it is proposed that retailers should be responsible for their food waste recycling, that the requirement for a municipal waste plan be removed, and that the county administrative boards' responsibility for waste supervision should increase and the municipalities' decrease. Furthermore, the government should have the main responsibility for the national waste plan instead of the Environmental Protection Agency.
