Exploring waste in Borlänge: 5 keys to the Swedish waste system - Part 1

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In this citizen story, I want to share my experience living in Sweden as a newcomer and applying the waste system in Borlänge. I am writing about this topic because, as a lawyer specializing in environmental issues, I am interested in knowing how this system is applied from a citizen's perspective. Living here, I could not miss the opportunity to explore inside the garbage to find out what these key aspects might be when discussing waste management.

1. Just as it is important to know where the nearest hospital, shopping mall, supermarket, airport, and bus stop are, it is also important to know where and how to dispose of the garbage we generate. So, if you do not yet know how waste collection works in your home, this is the first step. We must know and apply the waste collection model of the place where we live.

2. Communication between institutions and citizens is crucial to implement a waste model. This tool allows us to transmit a clear, close, and concrete message. For me, it was a novelty to receive a direct message through the newspaper “Nynflyttad”, sent to newcomers in Borlänge, which gives precise instructions on how to apply the model.

On the other hand, for example, for organic waste, they give you a water-repellent paper bag free of charge, it gets wet but does not drip. It is designed small so that the waste is taken out regularly once every two or three days. This caught my attention because taking it out more often reduces the liquid that comes out of organic waste and generates a bad smell when left in the home for longer periods. I also saw how some bags have messages about food waste awareness. It is interesting to see how this element communicates through its design; contributing to the collective awareness that is crucial in the way we relate to what we consume.

3.  In this first look, I noticed how the waste collection system is designed to guide you according to the purposes it wants to achieve. Here, especially for fruits and vegetables, you see less plasticized or unnecessarily wrapped products and I found laundry products that do not have plastic packaging. So, it is visible the effort that exists at the level of product generators to develop more environmentally friendly packaging.

4.         Households separate nine different types of waste. Waste sorting is divided into three main groups: the first is the garbage container near the house; the second, is the recycling stations; and the third, is the recycling center where special waste can be left. It was wonderful to see the number of types of waste classification, given that the higher the classification, the more varied the management and reincorporation routes within the waste management model. Under this scheme, I noticed that we reduce the purchase of bags since only one reusable bag can be used to carry the waste and deposit it directly in each of them.

5.  In addition to this, and in terms of behavior, the Swedes have organization and order in their actions, so it is easy to maintain these facilities. I think this is due to several factors:

- Keeping social spaces clean. Everyone, from a personal point of view, maintains the space by using it properly.

- It also contributes to the fact that only the companies that handle the waste are allowed to handle this garbage and everyone abides by it. Since there is no market where anyone can be paid for the waste, no one is interested in opening the containers and removing the garbage, thus generating disorder inside the stations.

- Understanding that waste management not only has to do with the order of how we would like to handle waste inside our own home but also outside of it, makes us understand that the public spaces where it is disposed of are also an extension of our own home. The sense of belonging of every citizen allows us to have a proper awareness and makes us behave coherently with the city in which we want to live and be.

Undoubtedly, waste management has many more aspects that make it a successful and quite extensive model, so this will not be the only time I will communicate on this topic. Later on, I want to share how the model is built from the institutional and organizational point of view.