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The Sweden recycle guide: Waste Sorting and Disposal

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Recycling in Sweden is a common practice. However, it may come as a culture shock to a newbie. You will notice that the bins at your home, office, school, or even on the walkway have different labels. As a result, you may find it difficult to figure out how the waste disposal system works.

Imagine finishing a cup of coffee and then standing in front of the recycling bins, reading each label to figure out where the cup goes. If you’re new to Sweden, this moment can feel oddly stressful, or even a little embarrassing.

The good news is that the system is much simpler once you recognize the symbols. These recycling icons aren’t random! They’re part of a shared Nordic standard. The same symbols appear in apartment buildings, offices, schools, public spaces, and even on product packaging. So once you learn them, sorting becomes second nature everywhere: at home, at work, and while traveling in the Nordic region.

This guide walks you through the main categories and provides valuable information to help you recycle correctly (and even avoid fines!).

Common recycling symbols

There are many different recycling symbols in Sweden, but you don’t need to learn all of them at once. Here are the ones you’ll likely see at home, at work, or in public recycling stations.

Matavfall

Organic waste

Organic waste is collected separately so that it can be turned into biogas (fuel for buses and taxis) and bio-fertiliser for agriculture. Always use the brown paper bags provided by your municipality, and avoid letting plastics or other materials end up in the bag.

Example: Fruit and vegetable peels, scraps, pits, coffee grounds and coffee filters, tea leaves and tea bags, eggshells, shells from shrimp and other seafood, inedible leftovers, small bones and trimmings from meat or fish, wilted flowers and leaves (no soil).

Tip: It’s better to put less rather than more in each food waste bag. Never fill the bag so much that it becomes difficult to close. This makes it easier to handle for both you and the waste collectors.

Pappersfӧrpackningar

Paper packaging

This category is for packaging made mainly of paper or cardboard: items that have been used to contain, wrap, or protect products.

Example: Pasta and cereal boxes, milk and juice cartons, sugar and flour bags, paper carrier bags, cardboard boxes (flatten before recycling).

Note: Remove any loose plastic caps and sort them separately as plastic packaging. The small plastic ring that remains on the carton is handled later in the recycling process.

Plastförpackningar

Plastic packaging

Here you sort all plastic packaging, both soft and hard.

Example: Plastic bags and wrapping, plastic foil, inner bags from cereal or muesli packages, plastic bottles, tubs, small containers and buckets, chip bags, styrofoam (frigolit) packaging.

Tip: If you’re unsure whether a bag is plastic or metal: crumple it in your hand.

  • If it springs back → sort as plastic

  • If it stays crumpled → sort as metal

Glasförpackningar

Glass packaging

This category is for glass packaging only — such as bottles and jars. Glass is sorted by color, so make sure to separate colored glass (färgat glas) from clear glass (ofärgat glas).

Example: Glass bottles (without deposit/pant), jam and sauce jars, olive oil bottles.

Important: Items like drinking glasses, vases, ceramics, porcelain, heat-resistant cookware, and mirrors are not packaging and must not be placed here. They belong at a recycling center (ÅVC) as bulky waste or in residual waste, depending on your municipality.

Tip: Remove any metal lids and caps and sort them with metal packaging. The glass and the metal are recycled separately.

Metallförpackningar

Metal packaging

This category includes all metal packaging, both large and very small items. Even tiny pieces like bottle caps, jar lids, foil, and the seal on a crème fraîche container should be recycled: they matter more than you think!

Example: Food and drink cans, spray cans (pys-tomma/empty), metal tubes, bottle caps and screw lids, foil and aluminium trays, small paint cans (completely scraped out and dry).

Tip: A spray can is considered empty (“pys-tom”) when it makes no sound when you press the button. If it’s completely empty, it can be recycled with metal packaging. If it still contains pressure or product, it must be handled as hazardous waste.

Tidningar

Newspapers and printed paper
This category includes newspapers and printed paper that can be recycled into new paper products.
Example: Daily newspapers, magazines, catalogues, advertising flyers, brochures, office paper, writing and drawing paper, paperbacks.
Important: Envelopes and hardcover books do not go here — they belong in residual waste. Wrapping paper and paper packaging (like printer paper wrappers) are sorted as paper packaging, not newspapers.

Tip: Remove any plastic wrapping from magazines or advertising mail: sort that as plastic packaging. You do not need to remove staples or metal spirals; those are separated during the recycling process.

Batterier

Batteries
Batteries can contain heavy metals (like mercury, cadmium, and lead) that are harmful to the environment, so they must be collected separately.
Example: Small loose batteries (AA/AAA), button-cell batteries (e.g., watches), rechargeable batteries in toothbrushes, toys, tools, or electronics.
  • Loose small batteries → place in battery collection boxes (batteriholk), often found in supermarkets, recycling rooms, or recycling centers.
  • Batteries built into items (e.g. electric toothbrushes, laptops, toys) → recycle the entire product as electronic waste (elavfall).
  • Car or large equipment batteries → leave at ÅVC (recycling center) or where you buy new ones.

Tip: If something moves, lights up, or makes sound, it likely contains a battery — even if you can’t see it. When in doubt, recycle the whole item as electronic waste, not in residual trash.

Ljuskällor

Light bulbs & fluorescent tubes

All small light sources (including LED bulbs, halogen bulbs, fluorescent tubes, and energy-saving bulbs) must be collected separately. Some of these contain mercury, which is dangerous for both people and the environment, so they should never be thrown in household waste.

You can return all types of bulbs and tubes at your municipal recycling center (ÅVC). Many larger stores that sell lamps also have drop-off points.

Be careful not to break them: damaged tubes or bulbs can release mercury.

Example: Light bulbs, LED bulbs, energy-saving bulbs (lågenergilampor), fluorescent tubes (lysrör).

Tip: Place used bulbs in a separate container or box at home until you can drop them off. This keeps them safe from breaking and makes recycling easier.

Restavfall

Residual waste

This is the waste that is left over after you have sorted out everything recyclable and hazardous. These items cannot be recycled into new materials — but they are still useful, because they are turned into energy for heating and electricity in Sweden.

Example: Diapers, broken plastic toys (without batteries), envelopes, vacuum cleaner bags, razor blades, toothbrushes, plasters and bandages, cotton swabs and similar small hygiene items.

Tip: If the item has no recycling symbol, is not packaging, and does not belong to categories like plastic, paper, metal, food waste, glass, textiles, electronics, or hazardous waste, then it likely goes in residual waste.

Sorting waste may sound like too much work. Nevertheless, a helpful tip would be to, first of all, sort the recyclables—paper, plastic, metal, organic waste, glass, batteries and lighting—then place the rest as residual waste.

Other categories of waste

You should hand in this category of waste at staffed recycling centers (ÅVC) in your municipality. You can hand them in physically at their designated offices or place an order by phone or on their website.

  • Hazardous waste: containers with residues of paint, oil, glue, or solvents.
  • Landfill: pots and pans, ceramics, scrap metal, mirrors, porcelain, and plumbing fixtures.
  • Garden waste: tree branches, leaves, moss, and grass.
  • Textiles: towels, clothing, beddings, and curtains.
  • Electrical waste: computer, household appliances, refrigerator, TV, radio, etc.
  • Bulky waste: these are household materials that are too bulky to fit into the bin. For example, sofa, household furniture, and toys. Exclude interior fittings (e.g, doors and kitchen cabinets) and car parts from bulky waste items.
  • Expired/Unused medicine: deposit this type of refuse (including hypodermic needles) at pharmacies or chemists, where they will be disposed of properly.

Why recycle in Sweden (or anywhere for that matter?

Sorting waste is important because it is beneficial for the environment and communities. It is also useful for recycling.

In Sweden, organic waste is converted to biogas and bio-fertilizers for farmers, while other recyclable wastes are transformed into new products. On the other hand, residual waste is converted to energy for heating homes, powering buses, and fueling taxis.

Sweden is one of the topmost ranked countries in the world for recycling cardboard and newspaper. Hence, it is no surprise that the country topped the charts in the Global Sustainable Competitive Index 2021 and holds second place in the 2021 UN Sustainable Development Report.

If you are a newbie in Sweden, leave a comment to tell us how waste sorting and disposal has been going for you. If you are not currently living in Sweden, tell us how you dispose of waste in your country. We can’t wait to read your comments!

Picture of Ezinne Edet
Ezinne Edet
Hej! I am a Nigerian studying a Master of Science in Management at the University of Gothenburg. I have travelled around different countries in Africa, but this is my first time living and studying in another continent. I see living in a new country as an opportunity to learn a new culture, language, and create new networks and experiences. I will be posting about my experiences in Sweden, as a newbie, and sharing information to help you settle in fast. Enjoy!
Comments

16 responses to “The Sweden recycle guide: Waste Sorting and Disposal”

  2. Very useful article for newbies and less newbies too! Sometimes the number of bins and the recycling system is different from a neighborhood to another and the sorting needs to be adapted… So it is an ongoing learning 🙂
    Thank you!

    Reply

  3. Do any of these items need to be cleaned before recycling? I have ketchup-covered paper plates. Do they go in Pappersfӧrpackningar (like the paper cups mentioned above) or Restavfall because the ketchup makes them too messy?

    Reply

  5. Hey!!!
    I’m looking for a place for broken glass disposal. I’m around Solna and I didn’t find any.
    Thank you.

    Reply

  7. Hi, I would like to know is it compulsory for the manufacture to place the waste sorting logo on the food label? is there any regulation that we can refer to? Please kindly advise. Thank you!

    Reply

  8. Hi,
    sorry for the slow reply. This is not an area in which we are experts so we’ve had to do some major googling which means that our answer is not to be taken as indisputable facts. The information we have is from Naturvårdsverket https://www.naturvardsverket.se/vagledning-och-stod/producentansvar/producentansvar-for-forpackningar/forpackningsavfall-fran-verksamheter/.

    It seems that a new law came in place in January 2023 which makes the manufacturer of products and the seller of products responsible for the sorting and waste disposal. I can not find any information on these pages that directly specifies that the waste sorting logo has to be in their products but if the manufacturer is responsible for the sorting and disposing it would stand to reason that they want to make sure that the buyer/user can do their part in sorting correctly.

    Anyway, hope this can get you a bit further in this topic.

    Reply

  9. Tack för hjälpen. Det här är en av de lättlästa förklaringarna för sopsortering som jag har hittat.

    Reply

  10. Navigating the recycling system in Sweden can indeed be a bit of a learning curve for newcomers, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature. The presence of various bins with different labels might seem overwhelming at first, but it’s all part of Sweden’s commitment to sustainability and environmental consciousness. Embracing the Sweden recycle guide as your ally can make the process much smoother, helping you sort your waste effectively and contribute to the country’s impressive recycling efforts. While it may take some adjustment, the culture of recycling in Sweden ultimately reflects a collective commitment to preserving the planet for future generations, making it a valuable practice to adopt.

    Reply

  11. Hi,
    All the time i am searching about this qusetion.
    In which container(plast ,papper or metal)shall i drop medicin cover ?
    Normally the cover made of aluminium mix with plastic.
    Thank you

    Reply

  12. I have recently got a small puppy – and I like to know – in which box should I need to dispose the dog poops – that we pick up on the black cover ?
    Do I need to drop these covers into the
    Non-recyclable/ Residual waste (Restavfall) ?

    Reply

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The Sweden recycle guide: Waste Sorting and Disposal

Recycling in Sweden is a common practice. However, it may come as a culture shock to a newbie. You will notice that the bins at your home, office, school, or even on the walkway have different labels. As a result, you may find it difficult to figure out how the waste disposal system works.
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