A quarter of the power that heats Malmo comes from combustible waste from the homes of its citizens. Recycling is a crucial part of sustainable living and Swedes take it very seriously. The public bring their rubbish free of charge. However, they have to sort it out themselves, in order to simplify the recycling process for the workers, placing each item in the appropriate bin. Garden wastes are recycled into compost, a process that takes three years.
Wood is shredded and then sold to companies to be used for energy.
Electronic goods are taken to plants and their components are separated, then recycled. Scrap metal, after being recycled, is also sold back to manufacturing companies, though unfortunately there is little demand. Most incombustible items left over are thrown into landfills. But these are taking up too much agricultural land in Sweden and the country's 22 incineration plants cannot keep up with demand, so some reusable waste is thrown into landfills too. This will decrease the amount of waste going to landfills and increase the amount of recycled material.