We all need to work together on climate action. People often talk about cars, air travel, and fossil fuels, but we want to highlight another issue—plastic in waste.
In Sweden, we’re generally very good at sorting waste at the source, but despite that, far too much plastic packaging is thrown directly into household trash instead of being recycled. Even though we’re better than the rest of Europe, we still have a long way to go—more than half of all plastic packaging in our country is sorted incorrectly and unnecessarily incinerated instead of being recycled into new plastic.
Clear Climate Benefits
For every kilogram of recycled plastic, carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by up to two kilograms, and if every Swedish household recycled one additional plastic package per month, carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 3,600 metric tons. That is equivalent to the emissions from approximately 1,200 gasoline-powered cars each year, or the oil heating of 675 medium-sized single-family homes.
A common myth is that the energy used to transport packaging negates the environmental benefits of recycling. Studies show that this is not true.* When you look at the entire process—from the recycling facility to the final recycling of the plastic—it is clear that recycling provides climate benefits. Even if the recycled material has to be transported long distances, it’s better for the climate to use recycled plastic instead of oil in the manufacture of new products. There’s also great potential to further increase the climate benefits of the recycling process—but there’s no doubt that recycling pays off.
Plastic that cannot be recycled is processed at Skövde Energi. The plastic is used for energy recovery in the district heating boilers, where it is converted into heat and electricity. However, recycling the plastic is an even better option.
Active Choices
As consumers, we have a responsibility to sort plastic at the source. We also have the power to set standards and influence manufacturers. One way we can do this is by actively choosing plastic products and packaging made from recycled plastic.
Guide: How to Sort Your Trash Properly!
The more plastic packaging that ends up in recycling and can be turned into new plastic, the better for the planet. But sometimes it can be hard to know what to do. Which plastics should go to the recycling center, and which should be thrown away with household waste? Check out this guide to help you get it right.
Waste Sorting in Your Area
As a tenant of Skövdebostäder, you have access to recycling in your neighborhood—and plastic is one of the categories. You can see where your nearest recycling station is located on the area map.
Thank you for helping to build a sustainable future!
*Profu, an independent consulting and research firm, has studied the climate benefits resulting from the collection and recycling of plastic packaging carried out by the Packaging and Newspaper Collection program.
