Insamling
How to Report Hazardous Waste
Anyone who produces, collects, transports, or treats hazardous waste must report it to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. All electrical and electronic waste is classified as hazardous waste. Here’s how you proceed.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket) maintains a register of all hazardous waste circulating in Sweden. The data is used for both supervision and statistics and is also reported to the EU Commission as part of European climate cooperation.
Because of this, anyone who produces, collects, transports, or treats hazardous waste must register their actions in the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s Waste Registry. This is what is referred to as the record-keeping obligation.
Note that municipalities may in some cases themselves be considered waste producers – for example, when collecting from their own operations. In these cases, the record-keeping obligation applies. This can be managed easily via www.verksamhetsavfall.se.
Films (in Swedish)
Do You Have a Record-Keeping Obligation?
Are you unsure whether your business has a record-keeping obligation? Take our simple test (in Swedish).
Har din verksamhet behov av att bortskaffa farligt avfall?
Get Help with Reporting – Sign a service agreement (in Swedish)
Want help with the reporting? If you sign a service agreement with El-Kretsen, we will handle all reporting of electrical and electronic waste for you. Note that if you are a service customer with El-Kretsen – meaning you rent load carriers from us with collection included — you also have a record-keeping obligation. Service customers can also sign a service agreement to get help with reporting.
We also offer an additional service for reporting other hazardous waste, such as waste oil, leftover paint, or chemicals, via the Swedish app “Insamlare”.
Consumer Electrical and Electronic Waste from Households
Record-keeping obligation and the “Insamlare” app – easier management for staff working at recycling centres.
When residents drop off electrical and electronic waste from households, it is classified as consumer electrical and electronic waste – and specific rules apply. Neither the person dropping off the waste nor the municipality needs to make a record at the time of receipt, according to the guidance to SFS 2020:937. However, the municipality must record the collection and removal of the waste (”insamling borttransport”).
To make this simple, the “Insamlare” app is available – a popular tool among recycling centre staff. With the app, you can register receipt, manage reporting, and track all activity directly from your mobile phone – with the information automatically sent to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s (Naturvårdsverket) Waste Registry (Avfallsregistret). You no longer need to log in via a computer to update stock status – it can be done directly in the app. All history is saved so you can easily review past activities. You’ll also receive relevant news from El-Kretsen directly in the app, so you’re always up to date.
You log in with the same credentials as for Hämtplatsportalen.
Who Is Responsible for the Reporting?
El-Kretsen has the record-keeping responsibility for all transports of consumer e-waste from households (according to Chapter 6, Section 2). We also report “collection and removal” from your recycling centre — unless you actively opt out. This decision was taken in consultation with Elreturrådet in November 2020.
Consumer Electrical and Electronic Waste from Businesses
Record-keeping obligation for businesses – and how the “Verksamhetsavfall” app helps you.
A business that drops off consumer electrical and electronic waste has a record-keeping obligation under the Environmental Code’s Waste Ordinance (miljöbalkens avfallsförordning, see “Insamlare”, Chapter 6, Section 3). The “Verksamhetsavfall” app makes it possible to manage the record-keeping obligation and to create what is known as a delivery certificate. With a delivery certificate, businesses can drop off consumer electrical and electronic waste free of charge at one of El-Kretsen’s collection points.
In the app, you as the user create a digital delivery certificate. A QR code is then generated, which is shown to staff at the collection point. The information is automatically sent to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s (Naturvårdsverket) Waste Registry (Avfallsregistret), and previous certificates are saved in the app so you can easily track your history. You will also receive ongoing news from El-Kretsen directly in the app, so you always know what applies.
How to get started:
• Register an account directly in the app – or via the form here.
• Reporting is invoiced afterwards. You do not pay anything in advance.
The Receiver Also Has a Record-Keeping Obligation
Anyone receiving electrical and electronic waste from businesses must also record it. This can be done directly in the “Insamlare” app, used by recycling centre staff.
Who Is Responsible for the Transport?
El-Kretsen has the record-keeping responsibility for the transports (according to Chapter 6, 2§).
Want to Handle the Reporting Yourself?
Then you can create a free delivery certificate via our web form (in Swedish). This serves as proof when delivering hazardous waste but note – El-Kretsen does not report this information on your behalf, so you are responsible for reporting it to the Waste Registry yourself.
Battery Collection Boxes – What Applies?
When households leave batteries in battery collection boxes or similar collection solutions, it is considered consumer electronic waste from households. El-Kretsen, with support from Chapter 6, Section 21 of the Waste Ordinance (Avfallsförordningen), has interpreted that receiving this waste does not need to be reported, as collection via boxes is not subject to permit requirements.
However – as soon as the waste is transferred to a permit-requiring receiver, such as an intermediate storage facility or a treatment plant, reporting must take place. It is at that point that the record-keeping obligation applies.