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Waste management

In Sweden, the majority of construction and demolition waste comes from the infrastructure and construction industry. Svenska kraftnät strives to reduce the impact of waste on health and the environment, primarily by complying with waste management legislation and regulations. For this reason, Svenska kraftnät requires its suppliers to comply with the legal requirements and principles when handling waste. The handling of hazardous waste is subject to special requirements.

Waste handling process

Waste handling process
Description of the process: 1) We apply the waste hierarchy to the greatest degree possible to minimise the amount of waste 2) The waste cannot be minimised and is produced at the work location 3) Where possible, the waste is separated into smaller parts that can be sorted separately 4) Non-hazardous and hazardous waste are handled separately and in accordance with the Waste Ordinance 5) Prior to removal, notes are taken of the waste in line with the note-taking requirement 6) Hazardous waste is reported to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency 7) Information about the waste is reported into Svenska kraftnät’s system.

Waste management regulations

Svenska kraftnät requires suppliers to comply with Swedish legislation. Swedish waste legislation is largely based on EU-wide legislation and is regulated by various laws, plans and objectives. The primary laws that govern Swedish waste management are the Environmental Code and the Waste Ordinance.  

The Swedish Environmental Code regulates the definition of waste, how it is managed and how responsibilities are divided. 

Environmental Code (1998:808) (Swedish Parliament website) (in Swedish)

The Waste Ordinance governs how waste is to be handled. This applies to both hazardous waste and non-hazardous waste.

Waste Ordinance 2020:614 (Swedish Parliament website) (in Swedish)

Laws and regulations on waste (naturvardsverket.se) (in Swedish)

Active waste management

When waste is managed actively, suppliers take into account how resources can be managed as efficiently as possible when planning their operations. 

Construction companies provide guides and aids for streamlining resource and waste management in projects. You can download the Swedish Construction Federation’s resource and waste guidelines for construction and demolition from their website (in Swedish). 

Waste management plan

Svenska kraftnät requires suppliers to draw up a plan for managing waste before establishment in the work area. The plan must include, at least:

  • Details of materials and products that will become hazardous waste: location, estimated quantity, waste code (to the extent possible) and overall description of management.
  • Details of materials and products that will become other non-hazardous waste: location, estimated quantity, waste code (to the extent possible) and overall description of management.
  • Any notifications and permissions needed for management of the waste.
  • Any products that can be reused, and how they will be managed.
  • Procedures for handling transport documents and acknowledgements of receipt, including weighed-in quantities if applicable.

Waste hierarchy

The waste hierarchy is an EU directive adopted into the Swedish Environmental Code. 

The five levels of the waste hierarchy control how waste is to be disposed of:

  1. Prevention
  2. Reuse
  3. Recycling
  4. Recovery
  5. Disposal

The first and most effective step in the waste hierarchy is to minimise the amount of waste, or preferably, to prevent resources from becoming waste. 

The waste that is nevertheless produced must be reused in the first instance, recycled in the second instance, incinerated for energy recovery in a power plant in the third instance, and lastly, sent to a landfill.

Hazardous waste note-taking requirement

The Waste Ordinance requires any party who produces, transports or collects hazardous waste in their operations to take notes on the waste. 

This is known as the note-taking requirement. Note-taking must comply with Sections 1-8 of Chapter 6 of the Waste Ordinance (2020:614). 

  • The note must be made before the waste is transported away as detailed in Chapter 6, Section 11 of the Waste Ordinance (2020:614).
  • Notes must be taken in chronological order.
  • The notes must also remain available in the operations of the party who is required to take notes.
  • The records must be available for presentation to the regulatory authorities, for example local environmental regulatory authority, should they request it. 

Obligation to report hazardous waste

The party who is required to take notes must submit all the recorded information regarding the hazardous waste to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s Waste Registry. 

This report must be made within two working days of making the note in order to comply with Chapter 6, Section 11 of the Waste Ordinance (2020:614). 

General information on the registration of hazardous waste in the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s Waste Registry (the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s website) (in Swedish)

Questions and answers on the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s website (in Swedish) 

Glossary

Swedish Waste Management provides a glossary of waste terms translated into different languages. 

To Swedish Waste Management's glossary

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