Sweden is Burning Trash – What This Means for America

Viewed superficially, the idea that an entire country is burning its trash comes as something of a surprise. That the country is Sweden, and that the practice is not only considered environmentally friendly but that it also generates a significant amount of energy, is an even greater shock.

In adopting this practice, however, Sweden has solved a number of issues relating to waste management and its reliance on fossil fuels. The success of this practice relies on a number of factors, including the fact that Swedes produce, on average, less waste than their European counterparts.

Reduced rates of waste production are not the controversial aspect, of course, as Sweden now incinerates so much waste that it imports garbage from other countries to keep up with its own energy demands.

On its face, the concept of waste incineration seems like it could not possibly be good for the environment, but Swedish officials insist that the opposite is true, noting that when waste remains in a landfill, methane and other greenhouse gases are emitted and toxins seep into the ground. It is also expected that 40 percent of the world’s waste is incinerated through open-air processes anyway, and not through the safe and eco-friendly method that Sweden has adopted.

The Swedes incinerate their waste while using a regulated process that ensures low emissions, and the process itself is remarkably efficient in producing energy. Through the two million tons of waste that is incinerated each year in Sweden, the country is able to produce the equivalent 670,000 tons of fuel oil energy, reducing its reliance on fossil fuels in the process.

The result of this program that Sweden has adopted is that less than one percent of the country’s waste ends up in landfills, with the rest either being recycled by mindful citizens or being converted to energy through the 32 waste-to-energy plants that the country employs. The efficacy of these processes in Sweden should at least cause the United States to consider adopting such a program, as waste management and energy production are pressing issues that must be soon addressed.

Importing garbage for energy is good business for Sweden from Sweden on Vimeo.