Waste and recycling
The Earth's resources are limited, and in order to become a sustainable city, resources must be used in a better and more efficient way.
The most environmentally friendly way to improve resource management of materials, is to prevent the generation of waste. Any waste that does arise must be properly disposed of to avoid harm to human health and the environment, and to enable a circular economy.
The City of Stockholm is working to significantly increase reuse across the city. Within municipal operations, reuse is to be multiplied and food waste reduced. A key factor for achieving more efficient resource management is making it easy to do the right thing. Waste management systems must be accessible and perceived as effective. The city’s challenge is to find smart collection systems that work in a large urban environment and for everyone.
One of the seven goals in the City of Stockholm’s Environment programme 2030 is "A resource efficient, circular Stockholm". This goal includes two milestones:
- Sustainable consumption and efficient resource utilisation
- Circular resource cycles
Work towards this goal is to question and challenge production methods, material choices, behaviours, and consumption patterns, while promoting and enabling circular flows. The milestones highlight the importance of the city working across all parts of the value chain to achieve resource efficiency.
Material recycling and food waste collection are both increasing in Stockholm.
Since 2021, it is mandatory for restaurants and commercial kitchens in the City of Stockholm to sort food waste from other waste. Since 2023 the same applies to households and all other operations.
Organisation
Stockholm Vatten och Avfall AB is responsible for the management of Stockholmers’ household waste and other waste; such as electrical, bulky and hazardous waste within the City of Stockholm. This responsibility also includes operating the City’s recycling stations and centres and the mobile recycling station.
Stockholm Vatten och Avfall’s website
Stockholm Vatten och Avfall is also responsible for the management of household waste from companies. Special rules apply to other waste management services for business operators.
The Environment and Health Authority exercises its public authority to ensure that various activities in the City comply with the provisions of the Environmental Code, for example the supervision of hazardous waste.
Environment and Health Department
The Transport Department and a number of City District Departments offer sorting of waste at source at some locations in the urban environment.
Policy documents
The annual budget, adopted by the City Council, is the ultimate governing document for all the City’s operations. Completing policy documents establish and clarify how the City’s operations should operate and how they should be run.
Most of these policy documents are available in Swedish only.
Available also in English:
Environment Programme
The City’s environment programme formulates the highest priority goals for Stockholm within environment and climate.
Environment Programme 2030 (pdf)
Climate Action Plan
The Climate Action Plan 2030 identifies what the City of Stockholm needs to do to reach the goals of a just transition for a Stockholm with no global carbon footprint.