Legal requirements for sorting food waste
As of 1 January 2024, there are requirements for sorting and separate collection of bio-waste from households and businesses. The new regulations on bio-waste replace the previous requirements concerning the collection of food waste. (Kramfors Municipality has applied for and received dispensation to introduce food waste collection gradually during 2024).
The collection requirements are linked to the introduction of Article 22 of the Waste Directive (2008/98/EC) on bio-waste, and require EU Member States to ensure that bio-waste is either separated and recycled at source, or collected separately and not mixed with other kinds of waste.
Bio-waste is defined in Chapter 1, Section 5 of the Swedish Waste Ordinance as:
- biodegradable garden or park waste,
- biodegradable food or kitchen waste from households, offices, restaurants, wholesalers, canteens, catering and retail premises, and
- biodegradable food or kitchen waste from the food industry comparable to waste referred to in paragraph 2.
Bio-waste is thus a broader concept than food waste, and includes both food or kitchen waste (formerly called food waste) and garden or park waste. The term has been changed through the implementation in Swedish legislation of Article 22 of the Swedish Waste Directive on bio-waste.