More businesses will be responsible for their waste, including certain waste that currently falls under municipal responsibility. This is one of several changes to waste legislation that the government presented today.
In short, the changes mean that less waste will be handled by the municipalities:
- Retail trade will be responsible for their municipal waste.
- Businesses will also be responsible for used cooking fat, office paper and recycled paper.
- As a complement to these changes, municipalities can be given “secondary responsibility under certain conditions”, for example in sparsely populated areas.
- A simplified exemption system will give other businesses, such as hotels and restaurants, increased opportunities to handle their municipal waste themselves, and it is proposed that the application be made to the county administrative board instead of to the municipality as is the case today.
– Waste Sweden welcomes the delimitation of responsibility and the clarity surrounding it, as well as the simplified exemption rules. It is a bit unclear what the municipalities’ secondary responsibility means, it could result in a large burden for the municipalities to have to provide reserve capacity. But at the same time, we do not know – before the bill has been published – under what conditions the municipalities’ secondary responsibility will come into force. Avfall Sverige has worked for a clear delegation option that allows the trade to engage the municipalities, instead of a secondary responsibility, says Tony Clark, CEO of Avfall Sverige.
Easier for excavation waste and planning
The government will also decide on exemptions from waste legislation for “natural”, uncontaminated excavation waste, so that they can be reused. Waste Sweden believes that it is good that soil, among other things, can now be reused directly.
Furthermore, the government will decide on a national waste plan and the waste prevention program, instead of as today when the Environmental Protection Agency presents these documents. Waste Sweden welcomes this, as these documents can then become sharper tools in the work for increased recycling and a circular economy.
Other decisions concern that the municipal waste plans are simplified and that the municipalities must produce separate financial accounts in the waste area that are available to the public.
– Increased requirements for accounting can create unnecessary administrative burdens since there are already requirements for public disclosure. However, increased transparency can strengthen the trust of residents and local actors, which is positive. It requires new procedures but provides the opportunity to show more clearly how fee funds are used, says Tony Clark.
New assignment on textiles
Textile waste is also included in the government’s initiative for increased recycling. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has been assigned to propose how producer responsibility for textiles should be designed. It is clear that collection and recycling should be financed by those who put textiles on the market. However, it was not clarified what role the municipalities may play. The report will be presented on 13 November 2026.
The legislative amendments are proposed to enter into force on 1 July 2026. A referral to the Legislative Council will be decided by the government and the government plans to submit a bill to the Riksdag at the end of January 2026.
– The transition period is far too short. Major changes require more time, it is not realistic that the actors concerned should only be given a few months to make the transition. Otherwise, the risk is that municipal investments will be wasted, agreements may have to be terminated prematurely, which will ultimately be borne by the residents.
Source – Avfall Sverige
