Assessing the Potential Climate Impacts and Benefits of Waste Prevention and Management: A Case Study of Sweden

Abstract

This study employs a life cycle perspective to analyze the carbon footprints of various waste streams, evaluating 52 cases across 26 types of household waste in Sweden, with a focus on waste prevention and management. It demonstrates that while recycling can reduce carbon emissions, prevention could significantly enhance these benefits, with savings ranging from −36.5 to −0.01 kg-CO2-eq per kg of waste. Notably, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), textiles, tires, residual household, and plastic waste are the top five fractions most amenable to prevention on a per mass basis. Further analysis, considering waste volumes, shows that targeted recycling of materials like WEEE, metals, and paper could account for over 80% of potential carbon savings. However, the majority of potential climate impact is attributed to the energy recovery of unsorted (mixed) waste, contributing to more than 90% of total impacts. Redirecting all mixed waste to recycling could triple carbon savings, but focusing on prevention could potentially increase benefits twenty-sevenfold, particularly for waste like WEEE, food, and textiles. This research provides a valuable tool for identifying key areas in waste management to optimize climate benefits and enhance public awareness. However, it advises using local data for precise planning due to inherent uncertainties.

Possibilities of Managing Waste Iron Sorbent FFH after CO2 Capture as an Element of a Circular Economy

“…Additionally, it is important that waste (used) sorbents are properly managed to minimize their impact on the environment and public health and to be economically viable [ 15 , 16 ]. This may include controlling emissions of harmful substances, preventing soil and water pollution as well as ensuring the safe disposal of waste [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Such an approach is directly linked to circular economy principles that are focused on developing processes that can bring benefits to the environment, society and economy [ 20 , 21 ].…”

“…Biological methods, such as bioleaching or the use of sewage sludge technology, can effectively process sorbents, reducing their toxicity and enabling the recovery of valuable components. This type of approach minimizes waste, reduces the need for primary raw materials and supports sustainable development by closing the life cycle of materials [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”