BERNICE WONG

Since the early 1970s, Sweden has invested a great deal of resources into growing its sustainability sector. So much so, that “Sweden’s success [has become its] problem.” ( Nancy Owano, Phys.org) 45% of Sweden’s energy supply comes from renewable energy, energy that comes from burning household waste. This has allowed the average Swedish household to leave only 1% of its everyday waste to end up in a landfill. For the average European household, this number is about 38%.

Too good to be true?

What about the CO2 emissions that result from burning waste? Residual material?

Sweden’s Waste-to-Energy guide by the national Waste Management team (SWM), states that material can be extracted from incineration residues to create gravel for construction purposes. As well, CO2 emissions from incineration are much lower, according to the following graph by SWM:

However this article, and a number of others, point to the harmful emissions caused by burning waste. Unfortunately, these arguments are not mentioned in SWM’s publications.

A comprehensive solution…

Sustainability is deeply ingrained in Swedish society. The country prohibits sale of drinks in plastic or metal containers, unless part of an approved recycling system.  The government is allocating SEK 400 million (63 million CAD) towards R&D in environmental technology. Stockholm holds an annual vintage clothing fair called Vintagemässan, attracting over 6,000 attendees during its last occurrence. But more than the pros and cons of their energy renewal system, I think it is Sweden’s emphasis on sustainability in so many aspects of its societal consciousness, which brings their society one step closer to green living.

Link to original article: http://phys.org/news/2012-10-sweden-norway-trash-lots.html