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Sweden

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Circle Economy
Overview
Introduction
Measuring the Circularity of SwedenScoping and trade dynamicsPractical challenges in quantifying circularity
Circularity Indicator Set
Material flow and footprints
Sizing Sweden's GapThe material footprint satisfying societal needsFamously low-carbon — but also highly material-intensiveA global standout for mineral, metal and biomass extractionExpanding building stock and thriving manufacturing industryA key player on the global scene with thriving trade
Bridging Sweden's Circularity GapConstruct a circular built environmentCultivate a thriving food systemMake manufacturing circularReshape extractive industriesDrive a clean mobility forwardDesign conscious consumablesCombined interventionsRoot causes preventing the realisation of 'what-if' scenarios
Recommendations
3.4%
Circularity Gap2022

Sizing Sweden's Gap

Sweden is 3.4% circular: of all the materials flowing through its economy, only a small portion are secondary. This chapter dives into the country's socioeconomic metabolism, exploring how materials are used—and at which proportions—to meet various societal needs and wants. Our analysis reveals Sweden's weighty material footprint: at 257.5 million tonnes, Sweden consumes more than twice the global per capita average—claiming 0.3% of the world's material footprint despite representing just 0.13% of its population. Key themes have emerged that paint a picture of the country's resource use: Sweden, while relatively low-carbon, is marked by heavy extraction and thriving trade, with material- and emissions-intensive activities in the mining, forestry, manufacturing and construction sectors. Extractive waste was revealed to weigh particularly heavily on the Metric. These observations provide a clear starting point, so we can better understand where sectors and supply chains should focus their strategies as they move toward a circular economy.

Different Countries, Common Needs

Despite clear divergences between countries, suitable circular economy strategies can be developed based on discernible common needs. Based on the two dimensions of Social Progress—indicated by an HDI score—and Ecological Footprint, countries fall into three broad profiles:

  • Build—A low rate of material consumption per capita means Build countries currently transgress few planetary boundaries, if any at all. But they are struggling to meet all basic needs, including HDI indicators such as education and healthcare. Country examples: India, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nigeria.
  • Grow—These countries are manufacturing hubs, hosting an expanding industrial sector and leading the way when it comes to building. This rapid industrialisation, as well as a growing middle class, have occurred concurrently with rising living standards. Country examples: China, Brazil, Mexico, Egypt.
  • Shift—Home to a minority of the global population, material consumption in Shift countries is ten times greater than in Build. Their extraction of fossil fuels is relatively high, as is their participation in global trade. So despite high HDI scores which result in comfortable lifestyles, these countries have a way to go in consuming resources in line with the planet’s resources. Country examples: United States of America, EU Member States, Japan, Argentina.

Seven Societal Needs and Wants

Here we describe the seven key societal needs and wants and which products and services they include, as well as the volume of materials it takes to fulfil them from Sweden's total material consumption of 266.7 million tonnes. Since various products can be allocated differently, here we make our choices explicit. For example, ‘radio, television and communication equipment’ can be classified either as part of Communication, or as Manufactured Goods. We decided to subsume it under Communication. Similarly, a large portion of infrastructure is linked to Mobility—yet it remains allocated under our first category, Housing & Infrastructure.

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Material flow and footprints
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The material footprint satisfying societal needs

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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