ONE THIRD OF THE SWEDISH COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL WASTE SENT FOR INCINERATION COULD BE RECYCLED
Historically, data on the composition of commercial and industrial waste (CIW) has been scarce. This is largely because the waste stream originates from a wide range of actors and varies significantly in quantity, composition, and size—from small fractions to bulky items. To obtain a reliable overview of this fraction, a large number of sorting analyses are required, covering diverse commercial and industrial sectors.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket) has published a comprehensive study on the composition of commercial and industrial waste (CIW) sent to waste-to-energy plants in Sweden. Based on 166 waste composition analyses across 11 facilities (covering 57% of national volumes), the report reveals that about one-third of the incinerated CIW consists of fractions with established collection systems (e.g., packaging, food waste, electronics), highlighting significant potential for improved source separation. The sorting analyses results showed that plastic and paper packaging are the main waste fractions (24% and 23% respectively), followed by wood (18%), textiles (7%) and food waste (5%). Two types of samples were analyzed: CIW delivered directly from the waste generator to the WtE plants, and sorting residues resulting from CIW that had undergone some kind of sorting/treatment – different in compositions between both types of samples were minor, though bulky materials were more common in residues. The report underscores the importance of improving source separation for commercial and industrial waste to maximize material recovery and minimize environmental impacts from incineration. This study fills critical data gaps in CIW composition and provides a stronger foundation for EU reporting and targeted measures to enhance circularity.
Figure: Composition of the commercial and industrial waste going to energy recovery in Sweden.
Read more: Report only available in Swedish with summary in English: Rapport från Naturvårdverket- Sammansättning av verksamhetsavfall som går till förbränning