All packaging that FTI collects is transported to recycling facilities that recycle as much of the collected material as possible. The material that can’t be recycled is sent for energy recovery and used as a substitute for fossil raw materials in industry.
The recycling process
Used milk cartons, shampoo bottles, sardine cans and bottles can be turned in to new packaging if you drop them off to be recycled. We all play an important part in the recycling process.
Did you know…
..steel, aluminum and glass are infinitely recyclable materials.
Why should I recycle?
By leaving your used packaging to recycling, you are contributing to a sustainable Sweden and a healthier planet. Your recycled packaging can become new packaging. By continuously recycling, we are conserving natural resources and reducing unnecessary emissions. We want to make it easy for you to recycle, and to maximize the environmental benefits.
Many people know that waste sorting is a legal obligation. That applies to both consumers and companies. Those companies that produce or sell packaging are also responsible for ensuring that the packaging is collected and recycled. These companies are called producers and they have a legal obligation to comply with their producer responsibilities. FTI helps them meet their legal obligations.
What happens to my packaging?
Videos in Swedish - How recycling works
See how the recycling process works for the different types of material in the videos below.
Paper packaging
A milk carton becomes a pizza box and a pasta packet becomes a popsicle stick in their next life. Follow the journey of paper packaging from your kitchen to a completely new product.
The recycling process
Plastic packaging
When you sort out your plastic packaging, the climate impact is cut in half. When we recycle and reuse the material in new packaging and products, it decreases the need for plastic that requires fossil resources (oil) decreases. In addition, emissions that otherwise occur when the plastic is incinerated are reduced. Recycling saves natural resources and reduces emissions. Follow the journey of plastic packaging from your kitchen or bathroom to a completely new product.
The recycling process
Metal packaging
See how the empty cans and used bottle caps from your kitchen become car bodies and new raw material. Metal is a permanent material, even when it changes form.
The recycling process
Glass packaging
Follow the journey of a jam jar or wine bottle from your kitchen and back to your house again as an olive oil bottle or glass wool insulation.
The recycling process
Who does what?
In order for us to achieve the goal of a circular economy, each and every one must contribute and take responsibility for their part in the chain.
Whole chain traceability
Being able to follow material throughout the entire chain is a matter of course for us. We track what happens to the material you have sent for recycling.
Frequently asked questions
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No, that is a persistent myth. The contractors who empty the bins receive compensation for the clean and sorted material they deliver. If they mix all of the materials together, the facility won’t accept them and the contractor will then have to take them to incineration or landfill — which they also have to pay for. Moreover, the packaging must be sent for recycling by law and our activities are continuously inspected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other authorities.
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The extra transport required to sort and recycle waste is offset by the environmental benefits of recycling. In 2018, the environmental research and consultant Profu studied the climate gains generated by plastics collection and recycling via FTI. The results show that even though the recycled material is transported over long distances, using recycled plastic is still better for the climate than using oil to make new plastic products.
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Yes, a used plastic package that is sorted and recycled, reduces the climate impact by half, in comparison to it being thrown in the houdhold waste and incinerated. One kilo of recycled plastic reduces CO₂ emissions by 2 kilos. The plastic in packaging can be recycled over and over again. This means that we both reduce emissions from incineration and reduce the need for fossil raw materials, which are needed in the production of new plastic. If we recycle, new plastic is not needed to the same extent. From a climate point of view, it is important that the recycling is circular, with efficient and high-quality sorting and separation. Then the quality and functions of the material are retained. Svensk Plaståtervinning, which receives FTI's collected packaging, is the only player in Sweden that works with circular recycling with sorting in focus. Read more about the recycling process
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Yes, it is a myth that sorting does not matter. All packaging that enters the recycling system is helping to develop recycling schemes, so that even more packaging can become new material in the future. Packaging that is not sent for recycling is incinerated. By sorting your packaging, you are helping to conserve natural resources and contributing to a circular economy. For example, CO₂ emissions are halved when you sort your plastic packaging instead of throwing it in the bin.