Living an eco-friendly life, recycling and keeping our communities clean seems synonymous with Swedish culture, but why is it so important to us? I think part of it has to do with our values.
First of all, sorting trash and caring for the environment is part of our childhood education. I remember educational visits to the local recycling station in 4th grade, the water waste plant in 5th grade, and countless trips to unspoilt natural reserves throughout my school years. I think this early education in appreciating and caring for nature is a big part of why Swedes seem so passionate about recycling. We have experienced the joy of being in nature, so of course we want to protect it.
Swedes value cleanliness
Another thing about Swedes is that we value cleanliness, and good recycling and refuse systems are vital to keeping our communities clean. I think cleanliness is a deeply ingrained value in Swedish culture and that is why we all work together to uphold it. Sweden is the only country I have ever been to where you can get told off by anyone - at any age - for throwing letters in the paper recycling bin.
You can’t recycle letters! The glue gets stuck in the paper recycling machine you know!
Easy to recycle
Another reason I think we are so good at recycling is because it is so easy to recycle here. We are lucky to have incredible infrastructure to deal productively with both trash and recycling. You can “panta” (or recycle) bottles at most supermarkets, even in remote areas. Dropping off trash at refuse stations is free and they are usually very well organized. Information regards to what is recyclable and where to dispose of items is clearly communicated. Not to mention that most municipalities have incredible at-home recycling solutions, with many people being able to sort both their recycling and food waste from the comfort of their own home. These systems means people are more likely to recycle, because it is so easy to do so.
Experience from abroad
This is vastly different from my experience living in other countries abroad. When I lived in New Zealand I could not put my recycle bin out too early in the morning, otherwise I would rish neighbors throwing single-use coffee cups in my recycle bin on their morning walk. Why? Beacuse “it’s better than throwing it on the ground”. This argument makes no sense to a Swedish person.
In most cities of New Zealand they also did not have facilities for recycling TetraPak or soft plastic, which meant that most of my waste that could have been recycled in Sweden, instead went to landfill.
But it is not only the lack of infrasturcture that have surprised as a Swedish person living abroad, but the lack in care from the people around me. Not only in New Zealand, but also in France, Italy and China for example. In many countries I have lived in, recycling is something only young people care about. It is not something for the everyday person.
This is in stark contrast to whenever I come home, and my 86-year old granddad carefully sorts his trash in his outhouse and goes to the recycling center once a month or so, with one bucket for metal lids, one for bottles, one for paper, etc. Just recently he called me telling me he got a new bin. Very exciting!
Recycling not mandatory
Recycling is not mandatory in Sweden, but it has become part of our culture. For most Swedes, recycling is very important, because we care about where our trash is going. We care about doing the right thing and contributing to, or helping, society. I think most of us believe that if we all work together it becomes cleaner (and better) for everyone. Said like a true Swede!
