14 DAY TRIAL // As weird as it may sound, Sweden might soon be forced to start importing trash from various other countries, seeing how the amounts of garbage produced by its citizens are simply not enough to power various plants that work by burning this resource.
In a rather amused tone, some would argue that this situation stands as proof that highly efficient recycling programs have their downsides too.
Thus, only about 4% of Swedish household waste goes into landfill, mainly because the people in this country take the concept of green living seriously and make sure nothing that can be recycled goes to waste.
Eco Geek informs us that, although this national phenomena is more than welcome as far as environmental protection is concerned, the fact remains that, because several Swedish plants burn trash in order to heat up water, households and businesses, and even generate electricity, lacking this resource can harm the country's industrial and economic stability.
Presently, Sweden is already busy importing trash from Norway.
Still, rumor has it that the Swedes are so efficient in using waste for the aforementioned purposes, that they will soon need to also purchase garbage from other countries.
Truth be told, burning trash might have its benefits, seeing how this process both helps the nation get rid of the waste it produces, and generates significant amounts of electricity, yet one must also bear in mind the fact that this particular industry does have its ecological footprint.
According to the same source, burning trash leads to considerable amounts of harmful chemical compounds being released into the atmosphere, and several toxic and heavy metals build up in the remaining trash.
“This is not a long-term solution really, because we need to better reuse and recycle, but in the short perspective I think it's quite a good solution,” argued one of the country's representatives.