Food that has been left over accounts for almost half of the weight of a standard household refuse bag. Food waste is also generated in restaurants, large-scale kitchens, grocery stores and in the food industry. Biological treatment of separated food waste, harnesses both its energy and nutrients.

In Sysav’s pre-treatment plant, food waste is converted into slurry; a pumpable, viscous liquid which is the plant’s end product. The slurry is thereafter in biogas plants converted into two useful resources – biogas and bio-fertilizer.

The biogas can be used to fuel vehicles, while the bio-fertilizer replaces chemically manufactured fertilizers in agriculture. 

Sysav receives waste from households and businesses in southern Skåne, Sweden’s southernmost province. A combination of methods ensures that the waste is used as a resource in a safe, environmental-friendly and sustainable way.

In addition to biological treatment, these methods include energy recovery from incineration, re-use and various forms of recycling, management of hazardous waste and landfill.