Avfall Sverige
– Swedish Waste Management
Avfall Sverige – Swedish Waste Management, was founded in 1947. It is a stakeholder and trade association in the field of waste management and recycling.
The association has almost 400 members. Most of these are municipal bodies (local authorities, municipal companies, and municipal regional companies). There are also about 120 corporate members (manufacturers, consultants, and public cleansing contractors).
The association represents its municipal members, whose customers account for 99 per cent of the Swedish population, vis-à-vis politicians, decision makers, authorities, and the EU.
The main activities are:
- to monitor development and safeguard member's interests
- to exchange experience
- to work with development and investigations
- to educate and disseminate knowledge
- to provide information
The office in Malmö has a staff of sixteen employees.
Disseminating knowledge
Avfall Sverige – Swedish Waste Management arranges about ten conferences and seminars each year, with the Annual General Meeting and the Autumn Meeting as the major events. In addition, over 20 courses and 30-40 meetings are held each year in different working groups, committees, and project groups.
Promoting the exchange of experience
One of the most important tasks is to promote the exchange of experience between members. This takes place in many ways, but the core of the work consists of the contributions by the members to the seven working groups. These groups usually meet twice a year.
To broaden the exchange of information, the working groups hold seminars on current issues. In several working groups there are short- or long-term project groups dealing with special matters. The working groups include a total of about 100 people, and many more are involved in various project groups.
To support and encourage the younger workers to establish contact networks in this sphere, the association has laid the foundation for regional and national meetings and seminars. The network for young people includes representatives of the members and authorities and government departments.
Influencing decision makers
The increasingly swift rate of change in our world makes greater demands of knowledge, competence, and resources if we are to assert the members' interests. Contacts with decision makers, authorities, government departments, and ongoing government inquiries are increasing in scope. This chiefly concerns the Environmental Protection Agency and the Ministry of the Environment, but other departments, authorities, and organizations as well. It is becoming increasingly important to maintain contacts with related specialist organizations in the fields of energy and environment, and in particular business associations for established and envisaged producer responsibility.
Avfall Sverige – Swedish Waste Management actively contributes its viewpoints when political decisions are submitted for comment. A steady flow of such referrals gives the association many contacts with the authorities.
Information activities
Avfall Sverige – Swedish Waste Management has a great deal of information activities, the most important being the magazine Avfall och Miljö, the newsletter and the website. These are aimed not only at members but also other interest groups, such as politicians, authorities, and the media. Each year Avfall Sverige – Swedish Waste Management also publishes 15-20 technical reports.
Development projects
Avfall Sverige – Swedish Waste Management pursues its own development projects. This is not research in the strict sense, but more practical development projects, above all through a joint investment which from 1999 will give just over SEK 4 million annually, and also by special ventures undertaken by certain members in the sphere of landfill and incineration to a total of SEK 1.7 million annually.
International collaboration
Together with equivalent associations in Norway, Denmark, and Finland, Avfall Sverige – Swedish Waste Management has set up a network for the exchange of information between the associations. Iceland is now also involved in this collaboration. Avfall Sverige – Swedish Waste Management is a member of FEAD - Fédération Européenne des Activités du Déchet. This is a federation of waste management associations in the EU countries, with its seat in Brussels. FEAD is an important instrument for obtaining quick information about ongoing development in the EU and for commenting on proposed legislation.
Avfall Sverige – Swedish Waste Management is active in several of the working groups and committees of ISWA, the International Solid Waste Association. ISWA is a federation of organizations, local authorities, and private companies in the field of waste management. It carries on long-term work to promote the exchange of experience and raise the standard of waste management in the world. Today ISWA has almost 1,200 members in 70 countries.
How to contact us:
Avfall Sverige – Swedish Waste Management
Prostgatan 2, S-211 25 Malmö, Sweden
Tel. Int + 46 40 356600 (switchboard)
Fax Int + 46 40-356626
E-mail office@avfallsverige.se