Nedskräpade återvinningsstationer - En studie om fördelning av ansvar
In Sweden, responsibility for the collection and recycling of packaging and newspapers lies with the producers. Therefore, the major producers created a jointcollection with 5800 recycling stations. The stations are the responsibility of a coordinating body, Förpacknings och Tidningsinsamlingen (FTI) which ensures Government regulations are adhered to by the producers.In 2006, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) carried out an evaluation of the collection of packaging and newspapers. EPA´s research showedthat 80 percent of households were satisfied with the collection but that there were also shortcomings, including problems with littering at the recycling stations.We have tried to approach the litter issue from different angles in order to suggestpossible measures to reduce the problem. An important aspect proved to be uncertainties regarding the concept of operators.As there are currently many parties involved in the collection process this lead to the issue of who is legally considered as the operator of the recycling stations. We discovered, when we studied the subject, that there had been some reorganization of FTI's activities, which we believe contributes to making the question of who is to beregarded as operators clearer.We have also examined FTI's and the municipalities environmental offices? approach to the problem. Overall, the survey shows that the degree of cooperation between FTI and the environmental offices is at a satisfactory level, but that there are differences in how the problem is perceived, particularly in regard to the cause of the litter.Based on the investigation, we have come up with some suggestions for actions that may contribute to a reduction in litter and further enhance cooperation between themunicipalities? environmental offices and FTI.Some conclusions we have reached are that EPA should provide clearer guidance on the question of what constitutes an appropriate collection and that the municipalities? environmental offices should be invited to the consultations between FTI and the municipalities regarding the recycling stations on a regular basis.