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Turning garbage into energy, Source: Facebook / Waste Management

Sweden is turning garbage into energy

Sweden is turning garbage into energy

Swedes recycle nearly 100% of their household waste. They even have to import waste to have something to burn, to turn waste into energy

Sweden was one of the first countries to implement a heavy tax on fossil fuels in 1991 and now sources almost half its electricity from renewables. Sweden is a top performer when it comes to sorting and recycling its waste and is in the rare situation of lacking garbage at its incineration centers, which produce enough electricity to supply 250 000 homes and heating for 950 000 homes.

Sweden has implemented a cohesive national recycling policy so that even though private companies undertake most of the business of importing and burning waste, the energy goes into a national heating network. Swedish municipalities are individually investing in futuristic waste collection techniques, like automated vacuum systems in residential blocks, removing the need for collection transport, and underground container systems that free up road space and get rid of any smells.

Source: Independent

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