Sweden
Design conscious consumables
The 'consumables' sector encompasses short-lived Products that Flow, like single-use plastics, to more durable Products that Last, from furniture and textiles to appliances and machinery. As a country marked by high levels of consumption, this scenario explores options to significantly cut Sweden's high material footprint—and make a mark on sectors gaining global notoriety for their impact on pollution, emissions and biodiversity, such as plastics and textiles. Strategies relating to design are particularly relevant: manufacturers have a responsibility to develop long-lasting, non-toxic, repairable and recyclable products to boost Sweden's circularity. Some action has been taken in this regard, with the government implementing tax reforms in 2017 to lower the VAT of repairs for used items, incentivising users to keep materials and products in circulation for longer. Recycling is crucial in this domain—which luckily, Sweden is no stranger to: the country's can and bottle recycling scheme has existed since the mid-1990s. They have even created a verb for the action: panta.[153] The system is relatively successful: 84% of PET bottles are recycled when sorted by source. Sweden has exceeded EU standards for recycling, setting more stringent targets than required—with plans to increase ambitions even further in 2025. To this end, Sweden is taking steps to combat the overuse of one of the world's fastest-moving goods: plastics. However, the need for coherent policy that goes beyond plastic and incorporates circular strategies is clear.
In our 'what if' scenario for conscious consumables, we outline opportunities for Sweden to cut its material footprint and boost its circularity by changing the way we use and design four categories of consumables: plastic and chemicals, textiles, furniture and appliances.
Impact on Sweden's circularity
Implementing these circular strategies for consumables could substantially decrease Sweden's material footprint—dropping it by 4.5%—while increasing the Circularity Metric by 0.16 percentage points (including extractive waste) (0.20 percentage points excluding extractive waste). Consumers stand to benefit from all interventions, receiving higher-quality, more durable products and therefore saving money. The proposed strategies will also create avenues for new business models, as well as circular goods and services.
Sweden's circular consumables surge
As a long-time subject of controversy, plastic has been afforded substantial attention in Sweden: the Swedish EPA, for example, has recently published a roadmap for the sustainable use of plastics,[173] as well as a slew of measures intended to increase plastic recycling in non-toxic cycles and improve conditions for chemical recycling process in the country.[174] Heavy investment into new technologies that enable better mechanical[175 ]and chemical[176] plastic recycling is taking place, while recently-launched digital marketplace Atomler offers a space for buyers and sellers to trade plastics online, diverting potential waste from waste-to-energy plants.[177] Swedish textile companies are also taking concrete steps to boost circularity in the sector: fashion multinational H&M, for example, is aiming for climate positivity by 2040, through a circular ecosystem that addresses all business stages and actors: from product designers[178] to consumers.[179] And driven by digitalisation and strong innovation, smaller Swedish companies are driving important breakthroughs, too: from advanced rapid colour formulation, which significantly reduces ink waste and minimises water usage, to spray-dyeing lines that slash water use and virtually eliminate waste.[180]
Similarly, ongoing project Circular Textile Innovations, headed by RISE, addresses critical points along the value chain by investigating alternatives to fibre blends and new yarn spinning techniques, exploring sorting techniques and recycling processes, and creating a roadmap to further cut textile waste and lower the use of fossil-fuel-based materials.[181]Consumers have options to go circular, too. In Eskilstuna, for example, customers can visit ReTuna, the world's first recycling shopping centre where almost every product is repurposed or upcycled.[182][183] With 14 stores, the shopping centre offers goods from clothing, furniture and electronics to sporting gear and toys—and now, even IKEA has opened a shop on the premises, offering second-hand furniture for sale after cleaning, renovating and getting it ready for a new life.[184]
The Circularity Gap Report is an initiative of Circle Economy, an impact organisation dedicated to accelerating the transition to the circular economy.
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