Waste management is currently in a state of flux in most industrialised countries. New technology, new laws and broader international collaboration are rapidly changing the way we handle, treat and dispose of waste. Focus is now shifting towards recycling and minimising the amount of waste as well as its toxicity.

In Sweden, the Government is promoting the development of new waste technologies, based on sustainable development principles. There is no definitive solution to waste management problems. Instead, there is an urgent need to minimise overall quantity and the harmfulness of generated waste while promoting continuous upgrading of collection, sorting, recycling, treatment and disposal techniques. In Sweden there is also steadily growing public awareness of the issues associated with waste management.

There are many actors in the field of waste management. They include regulatory and supervisory authorities, municipalities, producers, consumers, engineering consultants, refuse handling contractors, researchers and trade organisations. Each has a different perspective on waste management problems, different incentives and different degrees of freedom to act.

Know-how in waste management is found in all these companies and institutions and covers the whole chain of waste management from cleaner production, to collection and transportation to options for treatment, recycling and disposal.

Ultimate responsibility for how waste is dealt with lies with the party whose activity generated the waste.

Safe disposal of waste often requires turning over the waste itself to a waste handling company working on contract with a municipality or a producer. For hazardous waste it is particularly important to have good control over the material flow throughout the entire chain from producer to final disposer.