Quick facts about Avfall Sverige

Transcription

1 Annual report 2013

2 Quick facts about Avfall Sverige Avfall Sverige - Swedish Waste Management is the municipalities body of experts in waste management and recycling. Avfall Sverige s members ensure that waste is collected and recycled in an eco-friendly, sustainable and long-term manner and with a clear social responsibility in all the country s municipalities. Our vision is Zero Waste. We work and act to prevent waste and to maximise its reuse. Municipalities and the municipal enterprises are the driving force and guarantors of this change. Avfall Sverige represents municipalities, municipal associations, municipal enterprises and pan-municipal enterprises. The population of Sweden is represented through our members. The association also includes associated members in the form of approximately a hundred manufacturers, consultants and contractors active in waste management.

3 Year in brief The long-anticipated Ecocycle Bill did not materialise this year either. In January 2014 there was, however, a proposal that could be the solution to the problem. Minister for the Environment Lena Ek appointed a working group consisting of people from various departments who are tasked with coming up with a new proposal in dialogue with various actors before the summer. The delay in the arrival of the Ecocycle Bill and clarification about the municipalities roles and responsibilities created a vacuum which impeded the expansion of collection and recycling. It also affected the collection of electronic waste, food waste and textiles not only packaging and newspaper and also had consequences on waste prevention. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency s proposal for recycling phosphorus risks precipitating the unsustainable side effect that biogas production will be put into decline. The permitted levels of cadmium have set so high that biofertiliser may no longer be spreadable over arable land. If there is no disposal channel for biofertiliser, biogas producers may stop accepting food waste. The Environmental Protection Agency s proposal for the new directive on electronic waste contains a number of amendments, many of them improvements, that mainly affect producers, retailers and supervisory authorities. Indirectly, the new rules also affect municipalities, which regrettably the agency has failed to factor into its consequence analysis. Sweden has its first waste prevention programme. Food, textile, and electronic, construction and demolition waste are the priority areas. The programme contains targets, measures and indicators that measure how successfully quantities of waste and hazardous substances are to be? reduced. Municipalities have been identified as an important part of the waste prevention work. The Environmental Protection Agency will be monitoring the programme and draft a new one by A network dedicated to the issue of waste prevention has been put together within Avfall Sverige. The work shall also permeate the activities of the working groups. Planning has begun on a joint campaign for prevention and reuse in The EU Parliament approved the proposal for a revised procurement directive and a new directive on concessions. The exemption criteria from procurement (the Teckal Criteria) became a statutory provision. An 80 percent level for the business criterion was adopted and the preconditions for horizontal collaboration based on the Hamburg Ruling also became a statutory provision. Work on the End of Waste criteria continued at EU level. The End of waste-criteria for recycled glass came into effect on 11 June 2013, while the criteria for scrap copper came into effect on 1 February Work on the criteria for plastic, paper and bio-waste continues in is the first year that Sweden has a super election year, i.e. elections to the European Parliament, the Riksdag (national parliament), and county and municipal councils in the same year. Within the EU, 2014 is also known as the The Year of Resource Efficiency & Green Economy. Waste laws will be reviewed as well as recycling targets, definitions and incentives. A new BREF document outlining the best possible technology for waste management is being prepared. The new WEEE directive is being introduced in 2014.

4 An important and trustworthy actor How is Avfall Sverige perceived today? Peter Danielsson, Chairman: Waste issues are more in focus today than ever before and they affect many areas everything from day-to-day matters to technological development and green jobs. My impression is that Avfall Sverige is in a strong position. We inspire confidence. We know what we re talking about and are seen as an important actor when it comes to waste matters. We are also pleased that the membership survey, conducted in 2013, shows that our members are satisfied and are firmly behind the accomplishments that we have achieved together. Weine Wiqvist, Managing Director: We have credibility because we base our arguments on facts. The surveys we have conducted confirm this. It is important that the outside world perceives us as acting in the interests of society, i.e. the common good. To some, our actions are seen as slightly by-thebooks. But we should be aware that we have many members whose opinions we need to take into account. On the other hand, when this is done we will have the momentum on our side. Peter Danielsson: The image of municipal blandness still exists here and there; the notion that municipal enterprises are not capable of being developmentoriented. Nothing could be more wrong. Our members have clearly shown this through their development work. And our common vision Zero Waste and motto Sweden s largest environmental movement are anything but bland. We are not afraid to stick our necks out. Which key success factors do you think will enable us to realise our vision and the whole waste minimisation campaign? Peter Danielsson: Our vision shows that we are a future-oriented organisation. It has helped to establish Avfall Sverige as a force that strives for long-term, sustainable development with a clear social responsibility. Weine Wiqvist: In 2013 we produced a set of indicators that enable us to monitor the waste management trends in relation to our long-term goals of decoupling economic growth from waste quantities and to achieve a continuous movement up the waste hierar- chy. But it is the members who have the tools for doing the work in purely practical terms. The opportunities that are available to us for attaining our goals also depend on the current picture regarding roles and responsibilities. We are and wish to be a dynamo and guarantor for the change towards a more sustainable society. But we also need to see a change in the allocation of responsibilities in waste management. We have, after all, spent many years lobbying to make municipalities responsible for the collection of all household waste, including packaging and return paper. We are confident that change is close at hand, particularly in view of the work to solve the issue signalled by Minister for the Environment Lena Ek in January The members survey, which was conducted in spring 2013, shows that the members are generally very satisfied with Avfall Sverige s work. Are there any areas that can still be improved? Peter Danielsson: The core principle of our operation is the common good. The members interests must always come first and it is important that we have the willingness to strive for constant improvement. We will, above all, be following up the views that our members presented in the survey. Together, Avfall Sverige s members can accelerate development, improve training, launch high-profile campaigns and give advice more effectively than is possible by any single member individually. Above all, this will make us a strong actor in Sweden and also in Europe, and we can make our voice heard and effectively influence decision-making. But we need to be better at spreading the work of the working groups and of the development initiative. We will continue working on it. Weine Wiqvist: Cooperation with other industries in Sweden and within the EU, private and public sectors is a decisive success factor. We already have excellent partnerships in place, but we are striving to deepen existing ones and develop new ones. Key partners today are the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), our sister organisations Swedish Gas Association, Swedish District Heating

5 Association and the Swedish Water and Wastewater Association. Within the EU, we have the Municipal Waste Europe, and also trade organisations in bio-recovery and wasteto-energy. Via Municipal Waste Europe we have among other things lobbied for a revised procurement directive, which will make it simpler for Weine Wiqvist, Managing Director, and Peter Danielsson, Chairman. municipalities to collaborate along rational lines. How would you sum up 2013? Peter Danielsson: 2013 was largely dominated by the anticipated Ecocycle Bill, which was announced in the spring but was delayed. The waste inquiry yielded a strong proposal and essentially all consultative parties agreed with it. But converting the report s conclusions into concrete legislation is no easy task, it takes time. The Ministry for the Environment has announced plans to present a proposal before the summer break, so we hope for a concrete bill in waste directive. We are working in cooperation with industry colleagues in Europe to increase the targets What are your expectations for 2014? Peter Danielsson: We believe in the continuing expansion of food waste collection. But we also feel there is a risk that the biogas initiative will run out of steam unless there are clear signals that there is willingness to invest on a national level. There is also an external threat of falling energy prices globally, which could lead to a reduced ability to invest in renewable solutions, which would be devastating. In January 2013 the rules regulating how Weine Wiqvist: In addition to our continued focus on municipalities can transfer operations to their own or jointly-owned municipal companies, the Teckal criteria, were made permanent. It is the result of five long years of lobbying both in Sweden and the EU. Had it failed, it could have had monumental consequences for virtually all municipal operations.weine Wiqvist: The Environment Protection Agency s proposal for phosphorous recycling was a real disappointment. The bottom line of the proposal is that the food we eat is so toxic that the bio-fertilizer from food waste can no longer be used on our fields. Biogas production from food waste could therefore be in jeopardy. The proposal has been circulated for comments and we are working hard to ensure that it is reworked from the bottom up. Somewhat unexpectedly, the EU Commission announced that it would review the recycling targets and producer responsibilities that are part of the EU s reaching the food waste collection target for 2018, we will be seeing additional initiatives relating to reuse and recycling, in the textile industry, for example. As a large portion of our current business is rooted in EU regulations, this is where we need to invest even more energy. There is also the election to the EU Parliament, which means there may be a vacuum before new rules can be implemented. Peter Danielsson: The question about the allocation of responsibilities and the upcoming Ecocycle Bill will continue to be topical issues. We also need to continue working on our vision. We are planning a major communication initiative in All Avfall Sverige s members will have a key role to play in the work of communicating our vision to the general public. A more clearly defined allocation of responsibilities could make it simpler for us to reach our objectives and make our vision of reducing waste a reality.

6 Current events Food waste continues to be in focus in The expansion of collection has partially ground to a halt pending the arrival of the Ecocycle Bill. The phosphorous inquiry s proposal risks precipitating a decline in the production of biogas as food waste will no longer be a desirable substrate at the plants. The Swedish Environment Protection Agency listed food waste as one of the priority areas in the waste prevention programme. Avfall Sverige s political lobbying work continued unabated in The year will largely be remembered for the wait for the Ecocycle Bill that never came. Instead, the topical issues were the country s first waste prevention programme, phosphorous recycling, the EU s procurement frameworks and the new electronic waste directive. The importance of a holistic vision, long-term thinking and the clarification of municipalities roles and responsibilities in decisionmaking cannot be overemphasised. ecocycle issue should be handled in the future. The working group consisted of people from different departments. The work shall proceed in dialogue with the various actors including Avfall Sverige. The vacuum that has arisen while we await a parliamentary bill acted as a plug, which impeded the progress on increased collection and recycling during the whole of This applied not only to the responsibility for the collection of packaging and return paper but also indirectly affected other measures including electronic waste, food waste and textiles and, importantly, work on waste prevention. In Avfall Sverige s view, the issues regarding who is responsible for the collection of household waste are central to the recycling society. The collection of all household waste is a service in the public interest. It constitutes a totality for public waste management, which collaborates with other initiatives to prevent, reuse and recycle waste. The Ecocycle Bill The Swedish Government appointed a special waste inquirer in 2011 and the report Towards the sustainable society a resource-efficient waste management was submitted in August The main proposal in the report was to transfer the responsibility for collecting packaging and return paper to the municipalities while keeping the responsibility for recycling in the hands of the producers. This is a stance shared by the municipalities and Avfall Sverige. The report was circulated for comment and the responses indicate disagreement among the various actors, mostly on financial issues but there were also a number of legal issues. A parliamentary bill was expected in 2013 but it did not materialise. In mid-january 2014, things started to happen on this drawn-out issue. Minister for the Environment Lena Ek appointed a working group to draft a new proposal before the summer on how the Waste prevention, reuse and recycling The Swedish Environment Protection Agency presented Sweden s first waste prevention programme. Food, textiles, electronic products and construction and demolition are priority areas in the programme. They have been chosen because they either generate too much waste or because of their excessive environmental impact, counting from when the product is manufactured until it becomes waste. Avfall Sverige welcomed the agency s ambition to put words into action when it comes to the important issue of preventing and recycling waste. The programme also contains proposals for measures that municipalities can implement to prevent waste. In Avfall Sverige s view, however, the roles and responsibilities of municipalities need to be clarified in an ecocycle bill. In Avfall Sverige s view, making municipalities responsible for collecting all household waste would

7 maximise the possibilities for preventing, recovering and recycling. The phosphorous commission The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency s proposal for the sustainable recycling of phosphorus risks precipitating the unsustainable side effect of putting biogas production into decline. The reason is that the low permitted levels of cadmium in biofertiliser may stop biofertiliser from being spread over arable land. If there is no disposal channel for biofertiliser, biogas producers may stop accepting food waste. Avfall Sverige therefore rejected such a proposal. The phosphorous proposal is another example of the lack of a holistic view of waste management. Neither collection responsibility nor phosphorous recycling are separate components; they are interlinked with so many other issues in waste management and a misstep in one area can have huge repercussions on another. Procurement The EU Parliament approved the proposal for a revised procurement directive and a new directive on concessions. The exemption criteria from procurement (the Teckal Criteria) became a statutory provision. An 80 percent level for the business criterion was adopted and the preconditions for horizontal collaboration based on the Hamburg Ruling also became a statutory provision. The revised procurement directives also increase the scope for collaboration between municipalities, which Avfall Sverige welcomes. It also increases the possibilities for imposing environmental requirements in procurements. The government has already appointed a special inquirer to draft a proposal for how the directives can be implemented in Swedish law. The procurement committee of inquiry presented its report Good business a strategy for sustainable public procurement. Avfall Sverige provided comments to the committee in which it argued that waste management should be incorporated inside the Swedish Act on Procurement within the Water, Energy, Transport and Postal Services Sectors and the municipalities are the best suited bodies at local level and based on local preconditions, to choose form of organisation regarding waste management. New directives on electronic waste The government s decision on a new electronic waste directive has been delayed. The Environmental Protection Agency s proposal for the implementation of the new directive on electronic waste contains a number of amendments, many of them improvements that mainly affect producers, retailers and supervisory authorities. But the new rules also indirectly affect the municipalities. Today s successful collection in Sweden is performed mainly at municipal recycling centres in collaboration with El-Kretsen. The Environmental Protection Agency has failed to factor into its consequence analysis what would happen in a scenario where there are several collective collection systems. With several approved collection systems, there may be consequences for coordination in terms of both the interface to municipal collection and the municipalities local information responsibility. This could therefore lead to financial consequences for municipalities. In Avfall Sverige s view, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency should consider the possibilities of introducing a coordinating department for the approved collection systems in order to facilitate the dialogue between the municipalities and the different systems.

8 Working towards the vision As always, during 2013 Avfall Sverige stood on the front line when it came to representing, monitoring and presenting its members interests, requirements and opinions to authorities, opinion formers and decision-makers. Several forums for exchanging knowledge and experience were arranged to strengthen the ranks of and between members. All to make our vision a reality. Avfall Sverige represents its members in contacts with authorities and decision-makers. The competence of its members is developed through exchange of experience, and the dissemination of knowledge and information. Through working groups, training and other contacts, the administrative office receives the information, knowledge and awareness of the members requirements needed to present their opinions in a solidly-anchored and credible manner. Lobbying work Avfall Sverige represents its members in contacts with authorities and decision-makers, both at national and European levels. Meetings, personal visits, consultation responses, letters and media coverage are examples of different ways that members are represented. Avfall Sverige is often part of various expert and reference groups linked to government committees of inquiry. At meetings with the Government Offices, MPs, government officials and authorities, Avfall Sverige is often represented by the Managing Director, and various advisory consultants but board representatives and members can also take part. Avfall Sverige s lobbying work in the EU was strengthened in 2013 when Managing Director Weine Wiqvist was appointed chairman of the Brusselsbased organisation Municipal Waste Europe (MWE) which represents the municipalities and municipal enterprises interests in the EU. The organisation represents industry bodies, which are responsible for society s waste management on behalf of 340 million people in 14 countries. Avfall Sverige is one of the founders of the organisation. At national level, Avfall Sverige has representatives among the group of experts on the commission of inquiry into the Local Government Act, on the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency s Waste Council and a large number of other expert bodies and networks. Exchanging experiences Working groups are an important link between the members and the office, as well as between the members themselves. A large portion of experience exchange takes place via the working groups and also at courses, theme days and conferences. The working groups meet at least twice a year and maintain continuous contact. Advisory consultants at Avfall Sverige s office take part in the working groups. There are working groups in ten different areas: procurement matters bio-recovery landfill waste-to-energy recovery export hazardous waste communication logistics material recycling recycling centres Each working group has sub-groups for specialist fields. Some 280 member representatives from small municipalities to large municipal enterprises are involved in at least one working group or subgroup. For many members, the exchange of experience is the main motivation for joining a working group. Information from working groups is disseminated via our organisation or via regional networks and in Avfall och Miljö magazine and via Avfall Sverige s website. The result of working group activities includes

9 courses and theme days, development projects and knowledge management. The working groups are also an important internal base for anchoring Avfall Sverige s standpoint in different legislative and lobbying issues. Some of the experience exchange is conducted through the networks that exist for the benefit of Avfall Sverige s various groups. One example is the corporate group, which consists of representatives from associated private companies. Another network is Avfall Sverige Yngre, which is for people under the age of 36 who work with waste issues. The network for schools information experts among Avfall Sverige s members meets once a year. There is also a network for waste technicians, waste information specialists, procurers, engineers and operating technicians at biogas plants and safety advisory consultants. A network that handles issues concerning the prevention and reuse of waste was also set up in Key people from members, municipal and associated as well as external parties are linked to the network. A large proportion of members meet regularly in different regional networks across the country and stay in regular contact with the office. Knowledge management Avfall Sverige has an extensive training programme designed to increase the level of knowledge and competence in the industry. The training programme is quality-certified. During the year the training programme has successfully developed the range and the quality system. In total 2,000 people (2,500) took part in some 30 Avfall Sverige training programmes in The direction of the training programme is anchored in the working groups and therefore caters to the needs of members and the industry alike. Avfallsakademin (the Waste Academy) is Avfall Sverige s online training portal. The advantage with interactive courses is that training can be completed anywhere and at any time it is convenient and it accommodates all kinds of teaching styles. The Waste Academy consists of two courses. The first course is a foundation course and is an introduction to the waste industry. The course was developed by members and provides a basic grasp of general matters in the waste industry. The course furnishes the employees and elected representatives with a basic knowledge that helps to enhance efficiency and provides a more solid basis for decision-making. In total, 807 people have completed the Introductory training for the waste industry course at Waste Academy. The second course teaches the basics of Avfall Web. The course shows how Avfall Web is structured, what functions there are and how they can be used. 20 people have completed the course. Annual meeting In 2013 the meeting was held in Växjö and 605 people participated. The traditional Avfall Sverige exhibition, where corporate members display their products and services, attracted 34 exhibitors. Autumn meeting Curbside collection of household waste was the theme for Avfall Sverige s autumn meeting. The autumn meeting, which was held in Stockholm, attracted a record-breaking 476 people.

10 For the members and thereby for the benefit of the whole of Sweden Together with the members, Avfall Sverige has successfully developed the waste industry through a wide assortment of relevant, accessible and usable projects. In 2013 it was decided that coming initiatives shall strive to move up the waste hierarchy. Priority focus areas are presently prevention and reuse, Consumer behaviour and Raw materials and disposal. Development initiatives The joint programme for development projects means that even modest investments by individual members can yield a high return in practicable projects for all the members. The majority of development projects are reported on Avfall Sverige s website in a report. A few reports and handbooks are also published in printed form. The efforts are also based on a strong commitment from the members, through the working groups inter alia. This helps the projects develop a strong user profile. Avfall Sverige s development programme started in Since then, 385 development projects with a total cost of SEK 75 million have been approved. The working groups for waste-to-energy, bio-recovery and landfill also have their own development programmes. The working groups decide independently on specific initiatives. The development programme has a broad focus on specific projects including technology, financial and legal aspects, social and behaviour issues and aspects relating to information and communication. The projects should be relevant for the majority of Avfall Sverige s members. In 2013 previous priority areas were revised for the development initiative. They now consist of the following: prevention and reuse: This area will show how we move up the waste hierarchy, focusing in the top two steps. Consumer behaviour: In this area we will investigate how people s consumption affects waste flows and find ways to affect and accelerate the development of a more sustainable society. Raw materials and disposal: By recycling resources in waste we move up the waste hierarchy. In this area, we will highlight future demand and price trends among users, both with regard to materials and energy. Avfall Sverige s board appoints the development committee, which consists of the association s working group chairmen and two other representatives of Avfall Sverige s members. The committee decides which projects should be given the go-ahead and allocates the funds for their completion. The development committee meets four times a year. The results and information from the projects are available and are of practical use to the work of the members. The results from the different development programmes fill an important function in Avfall Sverige s work of representing the members across a variety of contexts. The joint development initiative of Avfall Sverige is based on the annual development fee, which is paid by all municipal members municipalities, municipal enterprises and municipal associations. The fee for 2013 was SEK 1.30 per inhabitant. In 2013 the development programme received SEK 12.1 million (SEK 9.2 million in 2012). Reports The results of Avfall Sverige s development programme are presented first and foremost in the form of reports. Since 2008, the reports are distributed only in electronic form at the website, this also applies to the reports on the various special initiatives. A printed summary is distributed to inform members about the contents of the reports. In 2013 a total of 33 (34) reports were published. Other ways to communicate results and information are being used, such as theme days and courses, press releases, articles in the magazine Avfall och Miljö and on the website. Starting in spring 2010, information from Avfall Sverige Development has been presented in a special

11 newsletter, which is issued four times a year. It is distributed digitally only and contains information about development projects and reports. The digital newsletter is distributed free of charge to all members. Avfall Sverige has through its development activities become an important player for promoting the industry and takes part in a number of initiatives in research and development at universities and institutes, with others, mainly the state, as the financier. Development initiative in bio-recovery In 2006, a specific development initiative was established in the field of bio-recovery. In 2013, 25 plants invested SEK 445,000 (345,000) in joint development projects. A committee has been appointed by the funding plants to make decisions regarding the financial means and to distribute them between the projects. So far, 48 projects have been initiated. 9 (4) new projects started in Development initiative in waste-to-energy The working group for Waste-to-Energy decided as early as in 1990 to establish a joint development initiative. It has a strong connection to technical operations issues with experience and reporting. Since the start, 130 projects have been initiated for around SEK 29.5 million. 14 (6) new projects started in The initiative is funded by all the Swedish waste incineration plants in Avfall Sverige s working group for waste-to-energy, totalling SEK 2.4 (1.9) million for Development initiative in landfill Sweden has approximately 80 landfill facilities, of which 28 have decided to make a joint investment of SEK 710,000 (660,000) in development projects in These are also projects of more or less operational nature. Since the start in 1997, 93 projects have been launched for around SEK 13.4 million. 4 (5) new projects were started in Martin Axelsson and Eva-Maj Johansson. Scholarships Avfall Sverige has been awarding scholarships within the waste management and recycling fields every year since The scholarships are awarded for the most deserving papers and Master s theses at first cycle level at Swedish universities, and the scholars are chosen by the development committee. 24 scholarships were awarded between 2005 and In 2013, two scholarships of SEK 15,000 each were awarded. They were awarded to the following projects: Decision basis for biogas production Eva-Maj Johansson, Mälardalen University Biomass and Lipid Production by Green Microalgae Cultured in (Industrial) Wastewaters with Flue Gases - and the Development of a Lipid Extraction Method Martin Axelsson, Umeå University. Guides and templates An important task for Avfall Sverige is to develop guidelines and recommendations for how the industry should approach and interpret different concepts, definitions and phenomena in the waste industry. These guidelines and recommendations are published in a series of guides with the following headings: The role of municipalities in the collection of packaging and return paper Introduction of systems for the collection of source-separated food waste

12 Exceptions from municipal waste management regulations Implications of the concept of household waste Property owners observance of the requirements in the waste regulations: Limits on the municipal responsibility for the collection of household waste in relation to assistance and support from the social services board Introduction of systems for the curbside collection of packaging and return paper Avfall Sverige s manuals are designed to create an interpretation standard to provide a better basis for decision-making. The recommendations that are published in these manuals are general advisory guidelines only and should not be seen as legally binding in individual cases. Avfall Sverige has also produced a number of templates and guidelines to help procure services: Template for the procurement of waste collection services Template for procuring waste receptacles Template for procuring bags and bag-folders for food waste Template for procuring the operation of recycling centres A guide for procuring treatment services Avfall Web internal support Avfall Sverige s statistics tool Avfall Web was launched in In 2013, 85 percent of municipalities have put in values for the quantity of waste in bins and bags. Avfall Sverige s goal is for Sweden s municipalities and waste facilities to draw great benefit from Avfall Web. A growing number of municipalities are discovering the tools and functions in the system and its comparison and benchmarking possibilities. The system is also the basis for the national waste statistics on household waste that Avfall Sverige produces every year and publishes in the report Swedish Waste Management. A report containing statistics at regional and municipal level, with information retrieved from Avfall Web, is also published once a year. Avfall Sverige supplies statistics data to the Swedish Energy Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, Statistics Sweden, Environmental Objectives Portal (county administrative boards follow-up of environmental objectives at county level) and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) report on Kommunens Kvalitet i Korthet (Municipal Quality in Brief). Avfall Sverige works to improve the coordination, increase the usability and create a better understanding of Swedish waste statistics. Our goal is to improve the data input and usability even further. It is also important to keep striving to improve the quality of the input data. Communication In 2006 Avfall Sverige the office and municipal members began joint external communications in campaign form. Six campaigns have been conducted since From the communication focused on the roles and responsibilities of municipalities and the environmental and social benefit that municipal waste activities help generate. The campaign was conducted under the name of Vi skapar ren välfärd ( We create pure welfare ). The communication initiative in was evaluated in The evaluation showed that (in brief): The majority of members are aware that Avfall Sverige conducts national campaigns. 98 percent wish to continue joint communication activities. Participation in the campaigns since 2006 has fluctuated from 69 percent in the first campaign about hazardous waste, down to nine percent in the latest campaign, Vi skapar ren välfärd. The evaluations concluded that Avfall Sverige s lobbying work is important, that we are reaching external target groups and that members wish to continue joint communication activities in campaign form. In 2013 preparations began on the next campaign, which will focus on the top steps in the waste hierarchy, prevention and reuse. The campaign is planned to be launched in The key objectives of Avfall Sverige s joint communication are to help increase the knowledge

13 about Swedish waste management and the role of the municipalities. One way of achieving these objectives is to focus strongly on different waste management fields for a sustained period. Decisions regarding the themes and primary objectives of the campaigns are always made in consultation with the members. The joint communication work is conducted at national level by the office and at local/regional level by the members. Until 2012, the communication initiative was financed by a fee of SEK 0.30 per resident, which was established by the annual meeting. In addition, there are the financial and human resources of the office and other members, as well as supplementary financial support through the development programme. In 2013 the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) project was arranged for the fifth time. In the project, all EU member states address the question of how to limit waste generation in different ways, all in one and the same week. In 2013, 23 European countries took part. Avfall Sverige has been the national coordinator during the project duration, with the support of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. The project has been extended until All the activities that have been conducted during the years are described at avfallsverige.se/ europa-minskar-avfallet (Swedish only). Avfall och Miljö (Waste and Environment) is a trade magazine for waste management and recycling professionals. The magazine covers hands-on experiences in the field, political decisions, research and new technology. It also follows on-going issues in the waste and recycling fields. The magazine is issued five times a year in accordance with a fixed publication schedule. The TS-verified (Tidningsstatistik AB) circulation figure is 2,300 (1,800) copies. It is also published in a digital version at our website. 17 (19) newsletters were published during the year. The newsletter has no fixed publication dates and is published when needed (on average every other week). It is also published on the website. As of 2011, the newsletter has also been published electronically in tandem with the printed one. There is also an electronic newsletter from Avfall Sverige Development containing information about projects and reports, and one that contains news about the export networks newsletters. Avfall Sverige is responsible for maintaining the national waste portal The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, El-Kretsen, Electronics Recycling Association, Packaging and Newspaper Collection Service, Städa Sverige and Avfall Sverige own the portal. You will find publications, reports, press releases and all campaign material available for download at our website. At the website it is also possible to register for courses, conferences and theme days. The number of visitors has increased sharply in the last few years. On average the website received some 10,000 visitors a month. Media Avfall Sverige was mentioned in newspapers, radio and TV more than 700 (600) times in (21) press releases were sent from the office in Several of these were published in various media but also served as basis for other articles on issues relevant to the industry. The issues that received the most coverage were the waste inquiry, waste fee reporting and statistics. Internationally the media have covered imports of waste to Sweden. 11 (4) own debate articles and 9 (2) replies to other articles were published, many of which focussed on the waste inquiry. The media has also been contacted through personal visits and with a special newsletter highlighting current waste issues. Certified recycling Avfall Sverige s certification system for bio-fertilizer and compost SPCR 120 and SPCR 152 was initiated in 1999 and 17 plants are now certified. Certification is optional and is based on an openness towards the customer in the form of meticulous quality documentation and transparency in terms of environment and quality. The entire chain from raw

14 material to final product is regulated by uniform criteria based on environmental protection and the user s needs. The system has been developed in consultation with the agriculture and food industry, compost and biofertiliser producers, soil producers, authorities and researchers. Avfall Sverige has also introduced a voluntary undertaking to perform emission inspections at biogas and upgrading plants. This means that the plants undertake to allow regular emission inspections and to take corrective action. National and international cooperation Cooperation with other national and international organisations is beneficial to Swedish waste management and the association s members. At national level there is an on-going collaboration with the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SAL- AR), the Swedish Water and Wastewater Association, the Swedish District Heating Association and the Swedish Gas Association, among others. Avfall Sverige s Managing Director is also a board member of the Keep Sweden Tidy foundation. Avfall Sverige also plays a role in the standardisation work of the SIS, the Swedish Standards Institute. Avfall Sverige also has representatives in external networks such as: Textilnätverket (textile network) which is run by the University of Borås. The Environmental Protection Agency and other authorities, researchers, charity organisations, environmental organisations, recycling industries and textile companies are also involved. Network for the Reduction of Food Waste (SaM- Ma), which was founded by the Environmental Protection Agency and others in The aim of the network is to reduce the quantities of food waste collaboratively in the entire food chain. Battery information association BIF an umbrella organisation with producer responsibility for batteries which was founded in 2012 by El- Kretsen, the Electronics Recycling Association and BlyBatteriRetur. The association helps producers with their work on information responsibility. The Sustainable Cities and Towns campaign is an example of a form of cooperation with other organisations. It was started by Avfall Sverige, the Swedish Gas Association, the Swedish District Heating Association and the Swedish Water and Wastewater Association in These four organisations have since then arranged an annual joint seminar at the political summer camp in Almedalen, Sweden and have also lobbied Swedish Parliament in joint concerns, several times a year. The cooperation also yielded several joint reports aimed at highlighting infrastructure, which is fundamental for building sustainable cities and towns. The Sustainable Cities and Towns cooperation continues in The other cooperation forms follow Avfall Sverige s statutory organisational principles. Producer responsibility for electronic waste, for example, has led to a natural cooperation with El-Kretsen, while Elreturrådet is a cooperative that enables representatives for municipalities and producers to meet. In El-Kretsen and Avfall Sverige have run a joint communication campaign to increase the collection of lighting sources and small-sized items of electronic waste. Avfall Sverige also monitors and influences EU work through several European waste organisations. CEWEP (Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants) monitors interests relating to waste-to-energy while ECN (European Compost Network) handles all issues related to bio-recovery. MWE (Municipal Waste Europe), where Avfall Sverige s Managing Director Weine Wiqvist is chairman, represents the interests of municipalities and municipal enterprises in the EU. Avfall Sverige s advisory consultants contribute their particular expertise in each organisation. Avfall Sverige is also an active member of the international waste organisation ISWA (International Solid Waste Association) and collaborates with colleagues in the Scandinavian Waste Association (NAF).

15 An open, credible organisation Avfall Sverige has a strong membership profile was the first year that a Satisfied Organisation Index was produced as a compliment to the regular membership survey. In overall terms the results were excellent, but our ambition is to be even better at meeting needs. Steps are being prepared. Annual meeting and the Board Avfall Sverige s highest decision-making body is the annual meeting, which makes decisions regarding statutes, policies, budget framework, the board and the nomination committee. In specific matters Avfall Sverige s opinions and standpoints are established by the board after being prepared by working groups, networks, the development committee and the office. In bigger issues concerning matters of responsibility, Avfall Sverige cooperates with SALAR. Avfall Sverige s board consists of 18 members, of which ten are elected representatives and eight are administrative officials, and whose term of office is two years. The board met 5 times in The nominating committee has seven members. The nominating committee s briefing states that it should strive to ensure that the structure of the board reflects the association s membership in terms of its organisational structure, size and geographical distribution, and strive to achieve as even gender distribution as possible. The auditors, one permanent and one deputy, are elected at the annual meeting. The 2013 annual meeting resolved to increase the membership fee and service fee by 2.73% for Prior to this, the fee has remained unchanged seven years in a row. Avfall Sverige s membership and organisation There are two categories of members at Avfall Sverige: Municipalities, municipal enterprises, municipal associations, etc. whose work is based on public duties and tasks. These members have the right to vote at annual meetings and make decisions on Avfall Sverige s statutes and policies, etc. Associated members are private actors such as suppliers of services and equipment or consultants. Membership survey 2013 Avfall Sverige conducts regular surveys to find out what its members think of our organisation. The survey in 2013 showed that the members are satisfied with Avfall Sverige as an organisation and that very few are directly dissatisfied. In the in-depth interviews, the association is compared favourably with other organisations. Avfall Sverige is described as an open, credible organisation. A Satisfied Organisation Index was produced for the first time. It provides comprehensive feedback about the members level of satisfaction and the possibility of benchmarking with other organisations. Among municipal members the result was 76 out of 100. According to customary interpretations this is a good to excellent result. Associated members gave 69 of 100, which is clearly acceptable but leaves more room for improvements. The members have a good level of familiarity with the organisation and Avfall Sverige s operating concept is fully in harmony with the members perception of the association. In general terms the members have a high level of benefit from Avfall Sverige s services. Among municipal members, those that are organised as enterprises are the most satisfied. Small municipalities are slightly less satisfied. Membership trend In 2013 Avfall Sverige had 381 (383) members. The number of municipal members declined from 248 to 245 through municipal collaboration but, as before, represent 289 of Sweden s 290 municipalities, directly or through regional companies and municipal associations. There were 136 (135) associated members. Avfall Sverige s highest decision-making body is the annual meeting, which makes decisions regarding statutes, policies, budget framework, the board and the nomination committee. Avfall Sverige s opinions and standpoints in policy issues are decided by the board after being prepared by the working groups and the development committee.

16 Avfall Sverige s finances Revenue Avfall Sverige s activities are mainly budget-based and they follow the mission statement that is approved through the overall budget at the annual meeting and through the detailed budget by Avfall Sverige s board. The income consists, in basically equal proportions, of membership fees and income from commercial activities such as courses, conferences, consulting assignments, publications, etc. Income in 2013 amounted to SEK 44.5 million (48.7 million in 2012). All members pay a membership and service fee. The fees for 2013 remained unchanged from the previous year. The membership fee accounts for 10 percent of the total fees, while the service fee to the service company accounts for 90 percent. The fees are established at the annual meeting. Membership and service fees for municipal members (municipalities, municipal enterprises and similar) are based on the size of the population. The fee is digressive, i.e. it decreases in proportion to the increase in the population. The municipal members membership and service fees correspond to SEK 1 per resident, on average. In addition, municipal members pay a development fee of SEK 1.3 (1.3) per person in Special development investments are also made by approximately 100 members of the landfill, waste-toenergy and biological treatment working groups. The investments are earmarked for projects within each of the fields. The funds, totalling SEK 3.6 million in 2013 is invested by the members of each working group and are not raised for decision-making at the annual meeting. For associated members, consultants, suppliers, contractors, recycling firms, etc., the member s fee is a fixed charge at two levels, depending on the size of the company. Expenditure Avfall Sverige s costs consist mainly of operating expenses for projects and commercial activities. There are also the customary costs for premises, personnel, etc. Results The turnover in 2013 amounted to around SEK 44.5 (48.7) million. The year s combined profit of the association Avfall Sverige and service company Avfall Sverige AB amounted to around SEK 0.07 (0.8) million. The equity of the association and company amounts to around SEK 11.2 million. INCOME STATEMENT (SEK thousand) Net sales Membership and service fees 11,885 11,994 11,875 12,069 12,213 Development & information fee/project 13,197 10,649 13,431 9,451 8,837 Landfill, Waste-to-energy, Bio-recovery initiative 3,266 2,415 3,117 3,595 2,894 Other 18,832 16,632 18,846 23,591 20,553 Total net sales 47,180 41,690 47,269 48,706 44,497 Operating expenses Development & information fee/project -12,132-9,609-11,822-12,307-9,052 Landfill, Waste-to-energy, Bio-recovery initiative -3,368-2,253-3,117-5,872-2,808 Other operating expenses -13,445-12,976-14,219-12,008-14,099 Total operating expenses -28,946-24,838-29,158-30,186-25,959 Personnel expenses -16,111-13,027-14,690-15,610-16,353 Other external expenses -2,693-2,632-2,654-2,804-2,998 Operating result , Financial revenue Profit after finance ,528 1, Current tax Deferred tax PROFIT FOR THE YEAR ,086 1, Note. Initiatives are recognised as income in relation to marginal expenses from 2012 No Information fee. 2013

17 Organisation Board Members, elected representatives: Peter Danielsson (Moderate Party), Helsingborg, chairman Ann-Christine Andersson (Social Democratic Party), Gothenburg Kenneth Holmström (Moderate Party), Gästrike Återvinnare, Gävle Pär Jönsson (Moderate Party), Östersund Örjan Lid (Moderate Party), SÖRAB, Vallentuna Glenn Nordlund (Social Democratic Party), Örnsköldsvik Birgitta Mörk (Social Democratic Party), SRV återvinning, Huddinge Ann-Mari Nilsson (Centre Party), Jönköping Åke Pettersson Frykberg (Green Party), Karlstad Energi, Karlstad Åsa Ögren (Social Democratic Party), Umeå Members, administrative officials Gunilla Carlsson, SYSAV, Malmö Mile Elez, Tekniska verken i Linköping Agneta Lantto Forsgren, Skellefteå Municipality Lisbeth Martinsson, Dala Vatten och Avfall, Leksand Lars Persson, Avfallshantering Östra Skaraborg, Skövde Gunnar Peters, Borås Energi och Miljö Marita Söderqvist, Traffic Administration, City of Stockholm Vacant Nomination committee Mikael Gäfvert, Reko Sundsvall, convenor Elisabeth Johansson, Umeva, Umeå Eva Johansson, Eskilstuna Energi & Miljö Vivi-Anne Karlsson, Vivab, Varberg/Falkenberg Pär Larsson, Karlstad Energi Elwe Nilsson, SÖRAB, Vallentuna Kim Olsson, NSR, Helsingborg Auditors Ordinary Steve Sjögren, KSRR, Kalmar Deputy Roger Orwén, Halmstad Energi och Miljö Dan Kjellqvist, authorised public accountant, KPMG David Olow, authorised public accountant, KPMG Chairmen of the Working Groups Procurement: Marita Söderqvist, Traffic Administration, City of Stockholm Biological recovery: Per-Erik Persson, Vafab Miljö, Västerås Landfill: Carl Odelberg, Vetlanda Energi och Teknik Waste-to-energy: Ulf Kullh, Umeå Energi Exports: Thomas Nylund, Gästrike Återvinnare, Gävle Hazardous waste: Åsa Winkler, NSR, Helsingborg Communication: Teresa Frykman, Uppsala Vatten and Avfall, Uppsala Logistics: Hans Zackrisson, Renova, Gothenburg Material recycling: Anna Wilhelmsson Göthe, Lunds Renhållningsverk Recycling centres: Carina Eklund, SYSAV, Malmö Development committee The development committee consists of: the chairmen of Avfall Sverige s working groups and Maria Sigroth from Lerum Municipality and Thomas Blomqvist; Managing Director of UMEVA, Umeå. Per-Erik Persson, Vafab Miljö is acting chairman of the committee. Co-opted from Avfall Sverige s office is Avfall Sverige s Managing Director Weine Wiqvist, Director of Development Per Nilzén and Director of Communication Anna-Carin Gripwall.

18 Personnel Weine Wiqvist, Managing Director Direct line: +46 (0) Mobile no. +46 (0) Angelika Blom Advisory consultant for bio-recovery Direct line: +46 (0) Mobile no. +46 (0) Jessica Christiansen Director of Training and Business controller, Advisory consultant for electronic waste Direct line: +46 (0) Mobile no. +46 (0) Anna-Carin Gripwall Director of Communication Direct line: +46 (0) Mobile no. +46 (0) Johan Fagerqvist Advisory consultant for Landfill and Waste-to-Energy Direct line: +46 (0) Mobile no. +46 (0) Karin Jönsson Editor Avfall och Miljö, Direct line: +46 (0) Håkan Larsson* Advisory consultant for public affairs Mobile no. +46 (0) Sven Lundgren Legal advisor Direct line: +46 (0) Mobile no. +46 (0) Ewa Koverman Finance assistant Direct line: +46 (0) Petra Kvist Carlsson Course manager Direct line: +46 (0) Britta Moutakis Advisory consultant for hazardous waste, recycling centres and collection of food waste Head of the Avfall Sverige Yngre network Direct line: +46 (0) Mobilnr. +46 (0) Jon Nilsson-Djerf* Advisory consultant for prevention, reuse, material recovery, recycling centres, collection and transport Mobile no. +46 (0) Per Nilzén Head of development Direct line: +46 (0) Mobile no. +46 (0) Jakob Sahlén Advisory consultant for waste-to-energy Direct line: +46 (0) Mobile no. +46 (0) Ingegerd Svantesson Public relations officer, webmaster Direct line: +46 (0) Mobile no. +46 (0) Pernilla Svensson Course administrator Direct line: +46 (0) Jenny Westin Advisory consultant for statistics, procurement and waste fees Direct line: +46 (0) Mobile no. +46 (0) Peter Westling Administrative supervisor Direct line: +46 (0) Jenny Åström Project manager, export issues Direct line: +46 (0) Mobile no. +46 (0) *Placement at Avfall Sverige s representation office in Stockholm.

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20 Avfall Sverige Swedish Waste Management Prostgatan 2, S Malmö, Sweden Tel. Int (switchboard) Fax Int office@avfallsverige.se