Find Swedish best practice

The Swedish island of Gotland has experienced a severe water crisis in recent years, negatively affecting tourism and local businesses. To address this problem, innovative circular water solutions are being tested and evaluated in the area of Storsudret in southern Gotland.

In Kristianstad, Sweden, the area of a former dry-cleaning site was once one of the most polluted areas in the south of Sweden. As a part of the Swedish objective of reaching a Toxin-free Environment, toxins have now been reduced by 99,9 % in the area.

The new residential area Oceanhamnen (The Ocean Harbour) in Helsingborg, is connected to three separate wastewater pipes; one vacuum pipe for toilets, one for food waste and a third pipe for the remaining greywater (showers, dishwashing and sinks). The separation of wastewater at the source enables recovery of resources from wastewater at Sweden’s first recovery plant; Reco lab. Reco which will be commissioned in 2021.

The district Augustenborg has been rebuilt during the last 20 years to manage problems with flooding and socioeconomic challenges. By planning and rebuilding through solutions based on ecosystem services, the area is now an attractive district that managed well during the flooding in 2014. Augustenborg is now an excellent example of a successful sustainable makeover of an urban district.

Increased efforts in environmental technology is crucial for a more sustainable use of society’s resources. MTC in Umeå specializes in the implementation of emerging environmental technologies focusing on waste, contaminated water and contaminated soil. Our customers include problem owners, companies looking to demonstrate new technology and academia focusing on applied research.

This Algae pilot is the first of its kind in Sweden. The algae convert unwanted substances to utilities. The goal is that algae cultivation will reduce our emissions of carbon dioxide and purify waste water to minimize over-fertilization of our waters and at the same time produce an energy-rich algae mass that is raw material for biodiesel (algae with high fatty acid content), animal feed (protein-rich algae) etc.

Dåva Landfill and Waste Center in Umeå AB (Dåva DAC) takes care of many types of waste. Some examples are ashes from waste incineration and combustion of biofuels, contaminated soils, various waste products from the industry, waste for landfill from households and businesses, asbestos and sulphide soil. We see this as exciting wastes, often with great potential of recycling. We work with flexible solutions, in order to recycle as much as possible.

Järven Ecotech designs and installs complete treatment plants for purifying and collecting surface/storm water, leachate, industrial water and sewerage water. For example, Järven Ecotech’s totally unique floating walls/baffles can replace conventional surface/storm water purification solutions on the market, such as dug/excavated surface water basins, sedimentation tanks and filtering solutions.

District heating, district cooling, electricity and wood pellets in a smart combination for the next generation.

Purification of wastewater in Borlänge

Fågelmyra is Borlänge municipality recycling center. This is where bulky waste is placed. Borlange residents sort their waste into containers or as hazardous waste. All containers are signposted and marked to facilitate the sorting.

Within Umeå municipality there are a total of 19 wastewater treatment plants. The largest, Umeå Wastewater Treatment Plant, takes care of wastewater from households and various businesses in Umeå and surrounding villages. Every year, it receives about 13 million cubic meters of waste water, containing about 3000 tons of organic material and about 80 tonnes of phosphorus. The process of cleaning water demands a lot of energy, but the plant also produce biogas which gives 23 000 kWh per day.