Sweden is so good at recycling that, it has set an example for the world to follow. So much so that, the country has now run out of garbage and has been forced to import rubbish from other countries to keep its recycling plants going.
Thanks to a government prioritization on environment protection, the country recycles more than 99% of all household waste or to be more precise 1.5 billion bottles and cans annually. And since 2011, less than 1% of Swedish household waste was sent to a landfill.
Sweden sources almost half its electricity from renewables. Instead of dumping garbage in landfills, the waste is burnt in special ovens at recycling plants spread across the country, providing heat to households. According to one report, across Sweden, 950,000 homes are heated by trash; this lowly resource also provides electricity for 260,000 homes across the country, according to statistics from Avfall Sverige, Sweden’s national waste management association.
The country is 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.
