(In English below) Den siffran hittar jag inte i Finland (fast jag söker) utan kommer via media i Sverige som är den femte största avfallsproducenten i Europa räknat per capita, skriver Dagens Nyheter som tagit del av en färsk rapport från Naturvårdsverket. Mest avfall per capita producerar Bulgarien följt av Luxemburg och Finland. Enligt det svenska Naturvårdverkets rapport fördubblas avfallsmängden till år 2030 om vi inte börjar återvinna mer avfall. Det intressanta enligt mig är att vi ju återvinner avfall men ÄNDÅ har vi massor med avfall.
Varje svensk (finns säkert siffror för Finland men man är inte lika ivrig att diskutera dem i media) slänger 457 kg sopor per år säger Naturvårdsverket i Sverige. Endast 40 % återvinns av allt avfall och endast 1/4 del av hushållens avfall återvinns.
Vi har varit förvånade och imponerade över att det i t.ex Kroatien och i Spanien finns återvinningsstationer i varje gathörn och i varje by på landet. Förvåningen kommer nog av att vi tror att vi i Norden är bra på detta med återanvändning. Siffrorna visar att så inte är fallet.
Lösningen är ju inte heller endast att avfallssorteringen ska bli effektivare utan att vi måste minska på konsumtionen.
Några förslag från The Telegraph angående att minska plastavfallet. Intressant är att plastpåsar är förbjudna i flera länder (som Burma, Bangladesh och Rwanda – se nedan). Jag har inte ens hört en diskussion om ämnet i Norden.
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I can not find that information (that Finland is the third largest producer of waste in Europe) in the media in Finland (though I have been looking) without going through the media in Sweden, which is the fifth largest producer of waste in Europe per capita according to Dagens Nyheter who refer to a recent report by the Environmental Protection Agency in Sweden. Most waste per capita produces Bulgaria, followed by Luxembourg and Finland. According to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency report the amount of waste will double by 2030 if we do not start to recycle more waste. Interesting however in my opinion is that we DO recycle a lot of waste but that we STILL we have so much.
Every Swede (there are probably figures for Finland, but this subject is not as eagerly discuss in the media here) throws away 457 kg waste per year, says the Environmental Protection Agency in Sweden. Only 40% of all waste is recycled and only 1/4 of household waste is recycled.
We have on trips in Europe been surprised and impressed by the recycling stations on every street corner and in every village in the countryside in both Croatia and Spain. Surprised because we have a tendency to think that we in the Nordic countries are good at things like recycling. The above figures show that this is not the case. Interestingly, plastic bags are banned in several countries and cities – like Burma, Bangladesh and Rwanda! I have not even heard a discussion on the topic in the Nordic countries. We are an underdeveloped region in many ways.
U.S.
In California, the ban started in San Francisco in select stores; if pending legislation goes through, it could soon expand to all stores not only in the city, but in the entire state.
A similar ban exists in coastal North Carolina and was recently passed in Portland.
England
In 2007, Modbury became the first town to ban the plastic bag in Britain, where 13 billion plastic bags are given away every year. If customers forget to bring their own, reports the Times Online, “a range of bags made of recycled cotton with organic and fairtrade certification will be available from
Other cities have followed suit, some just a few months ago, and there are efforts to make London plastic bag-free by the time the Olympics come around in 2010. According to the Daily Mail, “Londoners use 1.6billion plastic bags a year – for an average of just 20 minutes per bag.”
Mexico
Mexico City adopted a ban last summer—the second major city in the western hemisphere to do so.
India
India seems to be taking the lead in bans on plastic bags, although enforcement is sometimes questionable. Cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Karwar, Tirumala, Vasco, Rajasthan all have a ban on the bag.
Burma
A ban went into effect (with little notice) in Rangoon late last year. In neighboring China, the use of plastic bags is restricted.
Bangladesh
Plastic bags have been banned in Bangladesh since 2002, after being found to be responsible for the 1988 and 1998 floods that submerged most of the country.
Rwanda
The country, which has had a ban on plastic bags for years, has a reputation for being one of the cleanest nations not only on the continent, but in the world.
Australia
Sydney’s Oyster Bay was the first Australian suburb to ban plastic bags. Twelve towns in Australia are now said to be plastic bag-free—an effort to cut down on the estimated 6.7 billion plastic bags used in Australia every year.
The plastic debris in the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” has killed millions of birds and other marine animals.
One popular claim is that the size of the patch is twice that of the state of Texas – half a million square miles or the equivalent of 20 times the size of England
The solution to reduce these mountains of garbage is not however only to have a more efficient recycling but to reduce consumption. Some suggestions from The Telegraph on reducing plastic waste:
Compost your rubbish to reduce your use of plastic bags.
Don’t use bin liners – just tip your rubbish into the bin.
Bring unusable cloth bags to the shops with you.
Avoid buying beverages in plastic bottles – opt for glass where possible.
Carry your own thermal mug and ask coffee retailers to fill it for you rather than taking a disposable cup. Bring your own coffee mug to work with you. (That even worked at Viking Line)
Avoid buying foods packaged in plastic. Buy loose fruit and vegetables.
Make your own bread or buy it from bakeries that package it in paper.
Clean your home with baking soda and vinegar instead of using cleanering products packaged in plastic.
Buy washing powder in boxes, not liquid in plastic containers.
Buy cheese and meat from your local delicatessen and have it wrapped in paper.
Use bar soap to wash your dishes – and yourself.
Use scented candles or incense instead of artificial air fresheners.
Buy milk in paper cartons or glass, rather than plastic bottles.
Buy toilet paper that is wrapped in paper, not plastic. (Do we even have it in Finland – the country of paper factories?)
Don’t wrap left-over foods in cling film – use aluminium or wax paper instead. (Hmmm aluminium? Use a plate or bowl)
Use matches instead of plastic-encased lighters.
Give your pets cloth-based toys, like catnip mice and soft balls.
Buy cloth nappies instead of disposables.
Stuff delicate postal packages with old newspapers or junk mail instead of bubble wrap. (And re-use the bubble wrap envelopes – we have some which have travelled between Sweden-Finland-Denmark many times)
Use rechargeable batteries to avoid buying batteries packaged in plastic.
You can also make art from Waste as artis Vik Muniz does.
Or go to a Repair cafe!
Ylva Rancken-Lutz
"I am linked therefore I am" 