Avfall Sverige or Swedish Waste Management in English is a stakeholder and trade association in the field of waste management and recycling.
With 400 members from both the public – all municipalities as well as municipal companies - and the private waste management sectors, we represent all Swedish inhabitants. Avfall Sverige is the voice for its members in dealings with politicians, other decision makers, authorities and media, both in Sweden and internationally.
Avfall Sverige’s members makes sure that waste is collected and recycled in all municipalities nationally. In accordance with our vision "Zero Waste", the Swedish municipalities and public companies are the facilitators for the transition towards waste prevention, reuse, a circular economy and a more sustainable society.
Avfall Sverige was founded in 1947. The head office is situated in the City of Malmö with 18 employees. A representation office in Stockholm has 2 employees.
Avfall Sverige arranges about ten conferences and seminars each year, with the Annual General Meeting and the Autumn Meeting as the major events. In addition, over 20 courses and an additional 30-40 webinars and meetings are held each year in different working groups, committees, and project groups.
One of the most important tasks is to promote the exchange of experiences between members. This takes place in many ways, but the core part of the work takes place by having members engaged in our eight working groups. These groups usually meet twice a year.
To broaden the exchange of information, the working groups regularly hold seminars on current issues. In several working groups there are short- or long-term project groups dealing with special matters. The working groups engage a total of about 200 people, and many more are involved in various project groups.
As a result of the increasingly fast rate of change in our world, our member’s demand more knowledge, competence, and resources. The need to stay in contact with decision makers, authorities, government departments, and to actively participate in a wide range of government inquiries are increasing in scope. To Avfall Sverige, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Ministry of the Environment are our main interlocutors, but we also regularly interact with other departments, authorities, and organizations as well. It is becoming increasingly important to maintain contacts with related specialist organizations in the fields of energy and environment, and in particular business associations responsible for already established and envisaged producer responsibility.
Avfall Sverige actively contributes its viewpoints when political decisions are shared for comment. A steady flow of such inquiries results in many contacts with important authorities.
Avfall Sverige carry out a wide range of information activities, the most important being the magazine “Avfall och Miljö” or in English “Waste and Environment”, as well as the newsletter and the website. These are aimed not only at members but also other interest groups, such as politicians, authorities, and the media. Each year Avfall Sverige also publishes 30-35 technical reports.
Avfall Sverige carries a portfolio of its own development projects. This is not research in the strict sense, but more practical development projects, above all through the joint investments of the municipalities, which since 1999 has given a budget of more than SEK 6 million annually, and also by special ventures undertaken by members in the sphere of landfill, incineration and biological treatment totaling to SEK 2.5 million a year.
Avfall Sverige – Swedish Waste Management
Baltzarsgatan 25, S-211 36 Malmö, Sweden
Tel. Int + 46 40 356600 (switchboard)
E-mail office@avfallsverige.se
Senast uppdaterad - 2024-08-12