Ökad källsortering för materialåtervinning : Åtgärdsförslag för att minska mängden byggavfall som källsorteras i fraktionen brännbart

Abstract: There is a great need for reducing the extraction of limited resources of the Earth today. Oneway to achieve this, inter alia, is through increased recycling of material. The UN is activelytaking action on the matter, on a global level, and regionally the European Union hasdeveloped a directive on material waste. The Swedish construction sector is responsible forapproximately a third of the total generated waste, and measures regarding construction wasteshould thus be prioritized. Based on the abovementioned EU directive, the SwedishEnvironmental Protection Agency has developed a national action plan for waste, in whichconstruction and demolition waste is a focal point. JM AB is one of the leading corporationsin the Nordic countries in terms of housing development projects and one of their keyconcepts is sustainability. Not only does JM conduct its work in accordance with the currentrecommendations of both national and regional bodies, but in addition it has raised theambitions even further.JM is actively working to reduce the amount of landfill waste as well as the total amount ofwaste, and it has a good structure in place for doing so. An area of improvement with recyclingthat has now been identified is separation at source of combustible waste. Materials such aswood, plastics and corrugated cardboard can be separated from other combustible materials.This would not only increase the waste being recycled but also decrease the waste being burntfor energy extraction. The purpose of this thesis is to examine obstacles and possibilitieswithin the current recycling of combustible waste. The main ambition is for the results toprovide a foundation for the work of JM with regards to this, but hopefully other corporationsand actors within the construction sector will find the results useful and helpful as well.An internal survey was conducted and the questionnaire included both open questions andquestions with multiple-choice answers. Six employees at JM also participated in interviews.For added depth and more thorough analysis two waste contractors were also interviewed.Furthermore, a literature review was conducted and suggested that there is a strong need forchange in recycling within the entire construction sector. The review also showed that manysimilar problems exist in other construction companies.The survey, literature review and interviews lead to several action proposals of varying extentand complexity. Some of them are more specific, such as clearer signage on containers, newtank solutions, introduction of recycling instructions, and focus on recycling of wrappingplastics. Other proposals respond to more complex issues, such as a lack of commitment andsubstandard planning in the initial stages. What increases dedication and commitment is veryspecific for each individual. A shift in behavior relative to recycling, as well as increasedknowledge of combustibles, are both necessary. For this to happen a continuous effort isrequired, which in and of itself is a challenge, as well as clear leadership, division ofresponsibilities, and top down support within the corporate group.In a broader perspective, better cooperation from all actors within the construction sector isnecessary. An increased producer responsibility overall is required and improvements inwaste management alone is not sufficient. Producers should ensure that products andwrapping can be reused or recycled. This requires better and easier access to recycling, butalso a viable market for recycled material, and by extension manufacturers should be obligedto use more recycled material in their products.