The Sweden recycle guide is your friend, trust me. Recycling in Sweden is a common practice in Sweden. However, it may come as a culture shock to a newbie. You will notice that the bins at your home, office, school, or even on the walkway have different labels. As a result, you may find it difficult to figure out how the waste disposal system works.
Written by Ezinne Edet
Imagine finishing a cup of coffee and standing by the bin, reading the labels to figure out the right place to dispose of the cup. Depending on where you are coming from, this may feel a bit awkward.
Sweden is one of the countries that sorts and disposes of waste in categories. If you are confused about how to sort your garbage, where which garbage goes, or what the labels mean, we have compiled a simple guide for you.
Paper packaging (Pappersfӧrpackningar)
Here, you place paper packaging, like paper cups, toilet roll tubes, shoe boxes, paper bags, milk and juice packs, and the likes.
Organic waste (Matavfall)
You should place food waste, eggshells, kitchen paper, non-dyed napkins, used coffee grinds, tea bags, and wooden single-use items here.
Plastic (Plast)
This category is for plastic packaging containers, plastic bags, plastic wrapping, plastic bottles, plastic tubes, refill packs, plastic bags, packets for crisps, and similar items.
Metal (Metall)
You should place cans, bottle caps, tubes, aluminium foil, aluminium containers, soda cans, jar lids, and empty paint tins here.
Non-recyclable/ Residual waste (Restavfall)
This category is for waste that cannot be recycled, like dyed napkins, padded envelopes, vacuum cleaner bags, razor blades, toothbrushes, and diapers.
Newspapers (Tidningar)
Here, you place recyclable paper, like magazines, newspapers, diaries, catalogues, flyers, drawing and writing papers. Note that newspapers are sorted separately from paper packaging. Also, you should sort bound books and envelopes as residual waste or organic waste.
Coloured and Clear Glass (Färgat Glas, Ofärgat Glas)
Sort coloured glass (fargat glas) separately from clear glass (ofargat glas). Place glass materials like empty wine and beer bottles, jars of mayonnaise and jam, etc. here. However, remember to remove corks, metal caps, and jar lids and place them in their respective categories.
Batteries and Lighting (Batterier, Ljuskällor)
You should place rechargeable batteries, button cell batteries, small-size batteries, batteries for mobile phones and electric tools in the compartment for batteries (batterier). While in the compartment for lighting (ljuskallor), you place LED bulbs, light bulbs, fluorescent bulbs and lamps, halogen lamps, etc.
Sorting waste may sound like too much work. Nevertheless, a helpful tip would be to, first of all, sort the recyclables—paper, plastic, metal, organic waste, glass, batteries and lighting—then place the rest as residual waste.
Other categories of waste
You should hand in this category of waste at staffed recycling centers (ÅVC) in your municipality. You can hand them in physically at their designated offices or place an order by phone or on their website.
- Hazardous waste: containers with residues of paint, oil, glue, or solvents.
- Landfill: pots and pans, ceramics, scrap metal, mirrors, porcelain, and plumbing fixtures.
- Garden waste: tree branches, leaves, moss, and grass.
- Textiles: towels, clothing, beddings, and curtains.
- Electrical waste: computer, household appliances, refrigerator, TV, radio, etc.
- Bulky waste: these are household materials that are too bulky to fit into the bin. For example, sofa, household furniture, and toys. Exclude interior fittings (e.g, doors and kitchen cabinets) and car parts from bulky waste items.
- Expired/Unused medicine: deposit this type of refuse (including hypodermic needles) at pharmacies or chemists, where they will be disposed of properly.
Why recycle in Sweden (or anywhere for that matter?
Sorting waste is important because it is beneficial for the environment and communities. It is also useful for recycling.
In Sweden, organic waste is converted to biogas and bio-fertilizers for farmers, while other recyclable wastes are transformed into new products. On the other hand, residual waste is converted to energy for heating homes, powering buses, and fueling taxis.
Sweden is one of the topmost ranked countries in the world for recycling cardboard and newspaper. Hence, it is no surprise that the country topped the charts in the Global Sustainable Competitive Index 2021 and holds second place in the 2021 UN Sustainable Development Report.
If you are a newbie in Sweden, leave a comment to tell us how waste sorting and disposal has been going for you. If you are not currently living in Sweden, tell us how you dispose of waste in your country. We can’t wait to read your comments!
About the Author
Hej! I am a Nigerian studying a Master of Science in Management at the University of Gothenburg. I have travelled around different countries in Africa, but this is my first time living and studying in another continent. I see living in a new country as an opportunity to learn a new culture, language, and create new networks and experiences. I will be posting about my experiences in Sweden, as a newbie, and sharing information to help you settle in fast. Enjoy!
Nice, clear and to the point.. This really helps, Thank you Ezinne
I am glad the post was helpful. It’s my pleasure, Taiwo.😊
Very useful article for newbies and less newbies too! Sometimes the number of bins and the recycling system is different from a neighborhood to another and the sorting needs to be adapted… So it is an ongoing learning 🙂
Thank you!
I totally agree! Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Mayssa.😊
Do any of these items need to be cleaned before recycling? I have ketchup-covered paper plates. Do they go in Pappersfӧrpackningar (like the paper cups mentioned above) or Restavfall because the ketchup makes them too messy?
Rinse them or wipe off with used napkins
Hey!!!
I’m looking for a place for broken glass disposal. I’m around Solna and I didn’t find any.
Thank you.
How about coffee capsule? where should they go?
Hi, I would like to know is it compulsory for the manufacture to place the waste sorting logo on the food label? is there any regulation that we can refer to? Please kindly advise. Thank you!
Hi,
sorry for the slow reply. This is not an area in which we are experts so we’ve had to do some major googling which means that our answer is not to be taken as indisputable facts. The information we have is from Naturvårdsverket https://www.naturvardsverket.se/vagledning-och-stod/producentansvar/producentansvar-for-forpackningar/forpackningsavfall-fran-verksamheter/.
It seems that a new law came in place in January 2023 which makes the manufacturer of products and the seller of products responsible for the sorting and waste disposal. I can not find any information on these pages that directly specifies that the waste sorting logo has to be in their products but if the manufacturer is responsible for the sorting and disposing it would stand to reason that they want to make sure that the buyer/user can do their part in sorting correctly.
Anyway, hope this can get you a bit further in this topic.
Tack för hjälpen. Det här är en av de lättlästa förklaringarna för sopsortering som jag har hittat.
Navigating the recycling system in Sweden can indeed be a bit of a learning curve for newcomers, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature. The presence of various bins with different labels might seem overwhelming at first, but it’s all part of Sweden’s commitment to sustainability and environmental consciousness. Embracing the Sweden recycle guide as your ally can make the process much smoother, helping you sort your waste effectively and contribute to the country’s impressive recycling efforts. While it may take some adjustment, the culture of recycling in Sweden ultimately reflects a collective commitment to preserving the planet for future generations, making it a valuable practice to adopt.