Each municipality has been obliged since 1991 to have a waste management plan which must contain information on waste quantities, the use of waste treatment methods, and the measures planned by the municipality to reduce the quantity and toxicity of waste. These plans comprise all types of waste, as well as waste which municipalities are not responsible for handling. The waste management plan forms the important basis of the longrange work of developing an environmentally sound waste management system. The municipalities enjoy great freedom in designing the plans and their adaptation to local and regional conditions. Municipal waste management plans are compiled to regional waste management plans by county authorities. Regarding hazardous waste, a national waste management plan has been drawn up by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
| Municipal waste management planning – The Borås 1) model for waste handling and treatment | |
| Waste sorting at source The Borås model for sorting of household waste at the source is divided into three service levels. |
|
| 1. | Household waste is sorted at source into an organic fraction (black plastic bags) and a residual fraction for incineration (white plastic bags). The white and black plastic bags are then collected weekly at every household by waste contractors. |
| 2. | Packaging made of paper and glass and used batteries are taken to collection stations, which in most cases are located within walking distance of the household. It is estimated that one collection station is required for every 500 households. Some collection stations also have containers for packaging made of plastic and metal. Owners of multistorey buildings can subscribe for separate collection of packaging material. |
| 3. | Bulky and hazardous waste is to be taken to special collection stations. |
Waste treatment facilities The sorted household waste in black and white plastic bags is optically sorted and the black bags holding organic waste are taken to the municipal biological waste treatment plant. This is an anaerobic digestion and composting plant for production of biogas and compost. The plant was the first of its kind in Sweden. At present, 6,000 tonnes of organic waste are treated annually, which corresponds to about 70% of capacity. Besides the organic fraction of household waste, organic waste from restaurants, food industries, gardens and parks is treated in the plant.The residual fraction of the household waste, the white plastic bags, is taken to an incineration plant in Gothenburg (approximately 60 km from Borås). |
|
| Regional waste management planning – The SYSAV model for waste handling and treatment |
| SYSAV, the Solid Waste Company of Southwest Scania, is responsible for the management, recovery, treatment and final disposal of different forms of waste in the southernmost part of Sweden. It is a regional service company owned jointly by nine municipalities with a total of 500,000 inhabitants.The municipalities in the region are responsible for the collection and transport of household waste and industrial waste. SYSAV is responsible for a basic service to the municipalities in the form of regional recovery centres, environmental stations, battery collection, etc. Through agreements with the municipalities, SYSAV has been charged with the treatment of all waste in the region. For this purpose, SYSAV operates plants for various kinds of treatment such as sorting, waste-to-energy, digestion in biocells, deposition and special treatment of environmentally hazardous waste. |