2017-04-26 Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency 1

TREATMENT OF FOOD WASTE IN

SWEDEN

Nina Avdagic Lam, Waste management expert

Swedish Environmental Protection Agency

Agenda

• Swedish Waste Management – an overview • Why biologically process food waste? • National policy on food waste • Financing mechanisms • Collection schemes for food waste

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Swedish Waste Management – short overveiew

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• An average Swede generates close to 500 kg of waste every year

• Households source separate 10-15 different waste fractions

• Municipalities are responsible for collection and treatment of many waste fractions that households generate incl. food waste

Fractions that households source separate: - Food waste - Garden waste - Packaging of metal, plastic,

paper and glass - Electronics - Newspapers - Hazardous waste - Pharmaceuticals - Tires - Batteries - Bulky waste - Etc…

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Material recycling

Incineration

Landfill

Biological treament

MSW

col

lect

ed [

Mto

n/yr

] Treatment of household waste

1992-2011

2015: 15%

2015: 0,8%

2015: 49%

2015: 35%

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Material recycling

Incineration

Landfill

Biological treament

Producer Responsibility (1994)

Landfill tax (1999)

Landfill ban on organic waste (2005)

Landfill ban on combustible waste (2002)

MSW

col

lect

ed [

Mto

n/yr

] Instruments

Government investment grants (1998-2005)

No tax on biogas (vehicle fuel)

Why biologically process food waste?

Two main reasons why we process food waste: • Return plant nutrients in food waste

back to agricultural land • Produce energy in form of biogas

that can be used for heating, electricity and as vehicle fuel

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Biological treatment of food waste in 2014

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935 000 tons food waste generated from households, institutional kitchens, restaurants

and shops

439 000 tons of food waste was biologically treated trough anaerobic digestion and

composting

• 338 000 tons was anaerobically digested • 101 000 tons was composted (incl. home

composting)

100 %

47 %

36 % anaerobic d. 11 % compost

National target regarding food waste

Target: By 2018, at least 50 percent of food waste from households, institutional kitchens, shops and restaurants must be sorted and processed biologically so that plant nutrients are utilized, with at least 40 percent being processed so that energy is also utilized.

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Year Target By composting

By anaerobic digestion

Target 2018 50 % 10 % 40 %

In 2014, 47 % of food waste was biologically treated…However! Not all plant nutrients in treated food waste were recycled

Year Result By composting

By anaerobic digestion

2014 38 % 11 % 27 %

How biogas and bio-fertilizer are used as resources in Sweden

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2000 city buses run on biogas

21 % of fuel that municipal garbage trucks run on is biogas

80 % of the biogas produced from food waste is upgraded to vehicle fuel

1,7 million tons of bio-fertilizer is used in agricultural farm land

Municipal collection of food waste

• 73 % of municipalities offer some form of collection system for food waste

• In most municipalities it is voluntary for households to source separate food waste

• Most of the food waste is treated trough anaerobic digestion • Some municipalities have started to collect fall- fruit waste for

anaerobic digestion

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Financing mechanisms

• Municipalities invest in treatment capacity - Government investment grants for anaerobic digestion plants (approx. 25 % of the total investment costs) - No tax on biogas when used as vehicle fuel - Revenue from sold biogas and bio-fertilizer

• Municipal waste management fees - Cover capital costs and operational costs - Non-profit! - Can be differentiated to motivate households to source separate food waste

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Collection schemes for food waste in Sweden

• Source separation in paper bags and separate bins is the most common collection scheme

• Source separation in biodegradable bags and separate bins • Source separation in green plastic bags and optic sorting • Home composting • Collection of fall-fruit in big 1 m³ bags

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Biological treatment of food waste in Sweden – why it works?

• Long tradition of source separation of different waste fractions

• Focus on quality of the food waste rather than quantity! • National and local targets • Investment in treatment capacity and other infrastructure • Municipal waste management fees can be used to motivate

households to source separate food waste • Swedish Waste Association supports municipalities

(producing technical guidelines, establishing certification for bio-fertilizer, offering courses to waste management staff, networking etc.)

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Food waste does not need to be a wasted resource!

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Thank you for your attention!

Nina Avdagic Lam nina.avdagic.lam@swedishepa.se Pictures used in this presentiation come from: The Swedish EPA, Avfall Sverige, Batteriåtervinningen, Envac, El-Kretsen.