Preventing the generation of waste is the first step in the waste hierarchy. Sweden has a good track record when it comes to limiting landfill usage and instead recovering material, energy and nutrients from waste. Additional environmental benefits are achieved by preventing the production of waste and by increasing reuse. Preventing waste means both reducing waste volumes and reducing the number of hazardous substances in the waste. The municipalities play an important role in this work, but manufacturers and producers must also consider prevention when designing the products, as well as political steering instruments.
Avfall Sverige is continuously striving to develop tools to support its municipal members in their efforts to prevent waste generation. One such tool is a working method that includes working with waste management in a structured manner within a municipal organisation. The method has been tested and has resulted in a reduction in both waste volumes and costs. The work method is described in one of our handbooks.
Another tool is by carrying out different campaigns to inspire sustainable consumption. One of these, the “Miljönär” (freely translated to Environaire) label, was developed by Avfall Sverige and has been and is still used by municipalities to inspire sustainable consumption. The label draws attention to organisations that makes it possible for the public to repair, share or reuse, or to reduce waste in any other way.
One aspect of consumption that few people are aware of is the large amount of waste produced during the process to manufacture various products – the “invisible waste”. Because the waste from manufacturing is not visible to the consumer, they have trouble really understanding the full environmental impact the product has. Avfall Sverige’s communication on invisible waste aims at increasing knowledge about the phenomena and thereby promote a more conscious and sustainable consumption, which over time would result in the reduction of the waste quantities in our societies.
Since 2009, Avfall Sverige has been the national coordinator of the EU project "European Week for Waste Reduction", which is also supported by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. The project runs for one week in November, when lots of activities aimed at reducing the amount of waste and the quantity of hazardous substances in waste are arranged all over Europe. This campaign is also utilized by the municipalities in their work to reduce waste.
There are several ways to work with waste prevention in individual waste management plans. Some municipalities choose to only include general goals, while others have measurable targets and specify concrete actions. Several examples of this have been compiled in one of our reports, which can also be used in waste prevention work.
Reuse is defined as a measure that involves a product or component that is not waste being used again for the same purpose as it was originally intended. Preparing for reuse involves waste management that applies inspection, cleaning or repair to enable products or components submitted as waste to be reused.
It is becoming more and more common for municipalities to invite humanitarian organisations to be present at municipal recycling centres at specific recycling parks or reuse centres. Clothes, household items, furniture and many more objects can be deposited for reuse. Municipalities are further developing existing reuse centres to centres for repair, rental, borrowing, and exchanging and sharing activities.
To facilitate the prevention and reuse work of the municipalities, Avfall Sverige has, among other things, published a guide that explains the legal requirements.
Senast uppdaterad - 2022-08-17