Collection rates and recycling rates of plastic packaging are considerably lower than for other packaging materials in Sweden. In the context of a circular economy, higher plastic packaging recycling rates could contribute to increased resource efficiency and lowered greenhouse gas emissions. A deposit-returnsystem (DRS) for plastic packaging could be an appropriate economic policy instrument to increase recycling rates. This thesis investigates if and how the scope of the DRS in Sweden could be extended to post-consumer plastic packaging. Potential challenges for an extended DRS are identified through semi-structured qualitative research interviews and a literature review. Solutions to overcome the challenges are identified with lessons from earlier DRSs and are complemented with other possible solutions. The results show that the DRS scope could potentially be extended to small hollow bodies. This product group could be implemented gradually in existing infrastructure, is easy to grasp for consumers and its share of the plastic packaging waste is sufficiently high. The focus should be on non-food packaging to avoid hygienic issues. Higher consumer awareness concerning plastic issuesand policies, which incentivize plastic packaging recycling, were identified as important drivers for an extended DRS. / Insamlings- och återvinningsgraden av plastförpackningar är betydligt lägre i Sverige än för andra förpackningsmaterial. Genom att öka återvinningen av plastförpackningar kan högre resurseffektivitet och lägre utsläpp av växthusgaser uppnås. Ett pant-system för plastförpackningar kan således vara ett lämpligt styrmedel för att öka mängden återvunnet material. Detta examensarbete undersöker möjligheterna för ett utökat pantsystem i Sverige där plastförpackningar är inkluderade. Potentiella utmaningar för ett utökat system identifierades genom semi-strukturerade kvalitativa forskningsintervjuer och tillhörande litteraturstudie. Inspiration och lärdomar av liknande fall användes för att minska effekten av dessa i synergi med andra alternativa lösningar. Resultaten visar att användningen av ett pantsystem kan potentiellt utökas för att inkludera små ihåliga produkter. Denna produktgrupp kan implementeras med relativt små medel, inkorporeras i den befintliga infrastrukturen, förstås av konsumenter och står för en tillräckligt hög andel av avfallet för en mätbar effekt. Fokus bör vara på icke-livsmedelsförpackningar för att undvika risk för kontaminering. Ökad medvetenhet hos konsumenter rörande plastfrågor i kombination med tydligare riktlinjer och styrmedel för att motivera återvinning av plastförpackningar identifierades som viktiga drivkrafter för ett utökat pantsystem.

The food packaging industry is a £300bn global industry growing at a rate of 12% per year and increasingly favouring polymer or polymer-based materials. This generates 58m tonnes of "plastic" packaging waste annually in the EU and poses significant challenges for management given existing legislative constraints and increasing concerns surrounding the environmental impacts. The government, consumers, food retailers and pressure groups are all driving the demand for biodegradable packaging from renewable resources that can be disposed of with reduced impacts to the environment. Green Peace has devised a pyramid classification system of "Poisonous Plastics", which ranks plastics in terms of their harmfulness to the environment. They are campaigning against the use of oil-based materials and advocating the take up of biodegradable materials. The market for biodegradable food packaging is expanding rapidly but is still in its early stages of development and has not reached a critical mass to achieve significant market penetration. This is predominantly due to a lack of suitable materials that meet all environmental, functional and economical requirements. Whilst the long-term solution requires continued efforts in materials research and development, in the shorter term, changing working practices can abate the environmental impact of the industry. This research project tackled the challenge of environmental packaging from several directions: A novel starch-based material was developed that would fill the current gap in the food packaging market and facilitate recovery of the used materials by home composting. Using the sponsoring organisation as a case study, it was proved that by changing working practices by increasing rework and re-processing waste material for use in lower grade applications, both manufacturing costs and environmental impact can be reduced, thus benefiting both industry and the environment. A Life Cycle Assessment of selected biopolymers and oil-based polymers confirmed Green Peace's damning view of PVC and highlighted the need to develop biopolymers further. A domestic composting study of a range of commercially available "biodegradable" polymer materials revealed that a number of biodegradable packaging materials may typically biodegrade well in industrial high-temperature composting systems but fail to biodegrade under a low-temperature home composting environment and thus alerted the potential pitfall in waste management of some biodegradable polymers.

Der Herstellung von Kunststoffen, deren Weiterverarbeitung zu Halbzeugen wie Folien und Platten sowie Produkten wie Verpackungen oder Bauteilen wird in der deutschen Industrie, nicht zuletzt aufgrund der hohen Exportquoten, eine große Bedeutung zugesprochen [STAT2016]. Dabei müssen Halbzeugprodukte immer höheren Funktionsanforderungen bei zugleich geringerem Rohstoffeinsatz gerecht werden [DAUN2014]. Unter diesem Gesichtspunkt werden heute hohe Anforderungen an eine stabile Prozessführung mit zunehmend weniger Toleranz gegenüber Qualitätsschwankungen (z.B. fehlerhafte Druckbilder oder Siegelnähte) bei der Verarbeitung gestellt [VÄTH2011]. [... aus der Einleitung]

Insamlingen av använda plastförpackningar varierar mellan de svenska kommunerna. Tidigare studier har undersökt de regionala skillnaderna utifrån antagandet att faktorerna bakom insamlingen av återvinningsbara material har samma inverkan på graden av insamling oberoende av storleken på kommunerna. Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka vilka faktorer som kan bidra till att förklara insamlingen av plastförpackningar bland svenska kommuner, samt att analysera om betydelsen av dessa faktorer skiljer sig åt mellan större och mindre kommuner. Med hjälp av data från 242 kommuner för åren 2011–2015 delades Sveriges kommuner upp i större respektive mindre kommuner (enligt SKR:s klassificering). Genom regressionsanalys (OLS) av ovan nämnda paneldataset går det att jämföra och identifiera skillnader. Resultaten visar att det finns skillnader i bakomliggande faktorer till insamlingen av plastförpackningar. Specifikt framkommer att i båda fallen är insamlingen av plastförpackningar (i kilogram per invånare) högre i kommuner med relativt sett lägre ekonomisk standard samt högre medelålder. Det finns dock även viktiga skillnader mellan större och mindre kommuner, inte minst i form av att policyvariabler tenderar att ha mer framträdande effekter på källsorteringen i mindre kommuner jämfört med större. Mindre kommuner som infört viktbaserade avgifter samt har ett högt antal återvinningsstationer per invånare har en statistiskt signifikant högre källsortering. Motsvarande policyeffekter kunde inte uppvisas för de större kommunerna.

Les composants hyperfréquences embarqués dans des satellites utilisent actuellement l’encapsulation hermétique dans des boîtiers métalliques ou céramiques. La très forte amélioration des matériaux organiques en termes de dégazage et d’impureté ionique notamment rend possible l’utilisation de solutions quasi-hermétiques pour l’environnement spatial. Les encapsulations plastiques ouvrent des perspectives avérées de gain de dimension et de coût. La validation d’une technologie d’encapsulation repose sur la réalisation d’essais de fiabilité normatifs (1000 heures à 85°C et 85% d’humidité relative). Ces essais sont applicables quels que soient le profil de stockage de la mission, le type d’encapsulation et la technologie des composants utilisés. Les conditions de réalisation de ces essais ne sont pas clairement définies, par exemple l’application ou pas d’un fort champ électrique au niveau du composant. Or ce seul paramètre devient prépondérant lorsque les conditions sont réunies pour permettre la mise en place de phénomènes de corrosion. Ces travaux de thèse se sont axés sur la compréhension des mécanismes de défaillance mis en jeu dans des tests de vieillissement accéléré en chaleur humide. Pour cela, une méthodologie a été mise en œuvre pour établir les signatures électriques en statique de composants défaillants de deux filières technologiques de MMICs GaAs. Ces tests ont été reproduits sur des composants avec et sans encapsulation par une résine époxyde chargée silice, déposée selon le procédé dam-and-fill. Ainsi, il a été possible de distinguer les défaillances liées à la dégradation intrinsèque des composants, de l’effet protecteur ou non de l’encapsulation plastique. En parallèle, le comportement d’échantillons de résines sous différentes ambiances de chaleur humide a été testé et une modélisation a été proposée pour prédire leur prise d’humidité. Concernant l’effet de l’encapsulation par dam-and-fill, les résultats obtenus ont été contradictoires et dépendant des lots de composants. Ces résultats sont à pondérer par la taille restreinte de l’échantillonnage des files de test. En effet, pour la technologie représentative de cette étude, la présence d’une encapsulation plastique, pour un premier lot de composants, a eu tendance d’une part, à ne pas éviter ni même retarder l’apparition de fuites électriques, et d’autre part à aggraver ces dégradations, au point de mener à des défaillances dans la majorité des cas. De plus, des doutes subsistent sur la qualité de ce lot, notamment celle de la passivation. Pour un second lot de composants testés de technologie identique, il a été observé une amélioration de la résistance à l’humidité des composants encapsulés, vis-à-vis des puces nues. L’analyse de défaillance des composants encapsulés est extrêmement difficile car il faut pouvoir accéder aux défauts à la surface, voire sous la surface, du composant protégé. Une solution alternative a donc été cherchée afin de contourner les problèmes posés par la présence du matériau d’encapsulation. La nouvelle approche proposée combine la thermographie infrarouge avec la méthode du point chaud, l’imagerie en optique et l’analyse aux rayons X. Le défaut est tout d’abord localisé par la face avant, malgré la présence de la résine d’encapsulation. Ensuite, la transparence du substrat GaAs aux infrarouges permet des observations par la face arrière du composant. Une méthodologie de préparation relativement simple et rapide a pu être proposée et sa faisabilité démontrée. / Microwave devices for satellite applications are encapsulated in hermetic packages as metal or ceramic housings. The strong improvement of organic materials, especially outgassing and ionic impurity characteristics, makes it possible to use them as non-hermetic packaging solutions for space environment. Plastic encapsulations open proven gain perspectives of miniaturization and cost. The validation of an encapsulation technology is based on the achievement of standard reliability tests, typically 1000 hours at 85°C and 85% of relative humidity. Such tests are applicable regardless of the mission storage profile, devices and packaging technology. Moreover, the conditions of these tests are not clearly defined, e.g. the application or not of a strong electric field to the component. Yet this single parameter becomes dominant when the conditions are met to allow corrosion mechanisms, e.g. by the presence of condensed water and ionic contamination. This thesis focused on understanding the failure mechanisms that can occur during accelerated aging tests in high temperature and high humidity environment. For this work, a methodology has been implemented to establish DC electrical signatures of two different AsGa MMIC technologies. These tests were replicated on components with and without encapsulation by a silica-filled epoxy resin, dispensed by the dam-and-fill process. Thus, it was possible to distinguish failures due to the intrinsic degradation of the components from the effective protection or not of the plastic encapsulation. In parallel, the behavior of resin samples under different moist and heat atmospheres has been tested and a modeling was proposed to predict their moisture uptake. Concerning the effect of the dam-and-fill encapsulation technology, the results were contradictory and dependent of components batch. These results are to balance by the relatively limited size of the sampling for each test series, with and without encapsulation. Indeed, for the representative technology of this work, the presence of dam&fill encapsulation on a first batch of components has tended on one hand not to avoid nor even to delay the appearance of electric leakage, and on the other hand to aggravate these damages in the point to lead to failures in most of cases. Furthermore, doubts remain on the quality of this batch, especially regarding the passivation. For a second batch of devices with the same technology, an improvement of the humidity resistance was observed for encapsulated devices, compared to bare devices. In the failure analysis process of encapsulated devices, it is not possible to access directly to the observation of a defect at its surface. We therefore sought an alternative to overcome the problems represented by the encapsulating materials. A new approach was proposed. It combined infrared thermography method in hot spot mode, X-ray imaging and optical observations. We first located the defect from the front side of the encapsulated device. Then, the transparency of the AsGa substrate allowed infrared observations by the back side of the component. A relatively rapid and simple methodology was proposed and its feasibility demonstrated.

O alto nível de poluição gerado pelo descarte inadequado de materiais poliméricos vem motivando pesquisas por sistemas e técnicas ambientalmente corretos, tais como a aplicação de polímeros biodegradáveis e a substituição dos sistemas de pintura à base de solventes por aqueles com alto teor de sólidos, à base de água ou, praticamente isentos de compostos orgânicos voláteis (VOCs) e curáveis por radiação. Todavia, os revestimentos poliméricos curados são insolúveis e infusíveis, aumentando o grau de complexidade do seu reprocessamento, da sua reciclagem e da degradação desejável. Assim, este trabalho apresenta, como objeto de contribuição científica, a obtenção de tintas modificadas com agentes pró-degradantes, curadas por reações químicas induzidas por radiação ultravioleta ou feixe de elétrons (UV/EB), para impressão em embalagens plásticas, biodegradáveis ou não, para produtos de baixa vida útil. Foram estudadas combinações de seis revestimentos, sendo um verniz não pigmentado e cinco tintas nas cores amarela, azul, branca, preta e vermelha; três agentes pró-degradantes (estearatos de cobalto, cério e manganês), cinco substratos poliméricos (Ecobras®, polietileno de baixa densidade e suas respectivas modificações com os agentes pró-degradantes). Os revestimentos foram aplicados nos substratos e curados por radiação UV ou EB, resultando em 180 amostras. Estes materiais foram, então, expostos ao envelhecimento acelerado em câmara tipo QUV e à compostagem em ambiente natural. De modo a se compreender o efeito dos revestimentos poliméricos no processo de degradação das amostras, foram selecionadas aquelas com valores extremos de grau de conversão, a saber: amarela e preta, as quais foram expostas à compostagem em ambiente controlado via respirometria, reduzindo de 180 para 16 o número de amostras. O composto orgânico gerado pelo processo de biodegradação foi analisado por testes de ecotoxicidade. Foi observado que a camada de revestimento atua como barreira que inibe a degradação do plástico quando exposto às intempéries. Adicionalmente, constatou-se que quanto maior o grau de conversão das formulações pigmentadas pastosas em sólidas durante a cura por radiação ultravioleta, maior foi sua mineralização em ambiente de compostagem. As amostras curadas por EB apresentaram menor taxa de biodegradação do que as curadas por UV. Isso se deu em virtude da rede de ligações cruzadas entre as cadeias poliméticas, geradas na cura por EB. A adição dos agentes pró-degradantes promoveu uma aceleração no processo de degradação, ocasionando, inclusive, a migração do íon metálico para o meio, porém sem afetar a qualidade do meio de compostagem. / The high level of pollution generated by the inadequate disposal of polymeric materials has motivated the search for environmentally friendly systems and techniques such as the application of biodegradable polymers and the replacement of the solvent-based paint systems by those with high solids content, based water or cured by radiation, practically free of volatile organic compounds. However, the cured polymer coatings are neither soluble nor molten, increasing the complexity of the reprocessing, recycling and degradation. Thus, this work aimed to develop print inks modified with pro-degrading agents, cured by ultraviolet radiation or electron beam, for printing or decoration in plastic packaging products of short lifetime, which are biodegradable or not. Six coatings (varnish and inks in five colors: yellow, blue, white, black and red), three pro-degrading agents (cobalt stearate, cerium stearate and manganese stearate), five polymeric substrates (Ecobras®, low density polyethylene and its respective modifications with pro-degrading agents). The coatings were applied to the substrates and cured by ultraviolet radiation or electron beam, resulting in 180 samples. These materials were then exposed to accelerated aging chamber, type \"QUV\", and composting in natural environment. In order to assess the effects of the polymer coatings on the degradation process of the specimens, only the yellow and black samples were exposed to a controlled composting environment via respirometry, reducing to 16 the number of samples. The organic compound generated by the biodegradation process was analyzed by the ecotoxicity tests. It was observed that the coating layer acted as a barrier that inhibits degradation of the plastic when exposed to weathering. The addition of pro-degrading agents promoted acceleration in the degradation process, promoting the migration of the metal ion to the medium without affecting the final quality of the organic compost.

O alto nível de poluição gerado pelo descarte inadequado de materiais poliméricos vem motivando pesquisas por sistemas e técnicas ambientalmente corretos, tais como a aplicação de polímeros biodegradáveis e a substituição dos sistemas de pintura à base de solventes por aqueles com alto teor de sólidos, à base de água ou, praticamente isentos de compostos orgânicos voláteis (VOCs) e curáveis por radiação. Todavia, os revestimentos poliméricos curados são insolúveis e infusíveis, aumentando o grau de complexidade do seu reprocessamento, da sua reciclagem e da degradação desejável. Assim, este trabalho apresenta, como objeto de contribuição científica, a obtenção de tintas modificadas com agentes pró-degradantes, curadas por reações químicas induzidas por radiação ultravioleta ou feixe de elétrons (UV/EB), para impressão em embalagens plásticas, biodegradáveis ou não, para produtos de baixa vida útil. Foram estudadas combinações de seis revestimentos, sendo um verniz não pigmentado e cinco tintas nas cores amarela, azul, branca, preta e vermelha; três agentes pró-degradantes (estearatos de cobalto, cério e manganês), cinco substratos poliméricos (Ecobras®, polietileno de baixa densidade e suas respectivas modificações com os agentes pró-degradantes). Os revestimentos foram aplicados nos substratos e curados por radiação UV ou EB, resultando em 180 amostras. Estes materiais foram, então, expostos ao envelhecimento acelerado em câmara tipo QUV e à compostagem em ambiente natural. De modo a se compreender o efeito dos revestimentos poliméricos no processo de degradação das amostras, foram selecionadas aquelas com valores extremos de grau de conversão, a saber: amarela e preta, as quais foram expostas à compostagem em ambiente controlado via respirometria, reduzindo de 180 para 16 o número de amostras. O composto orgânico gerado pelo processo de biodegradação foi analisado por testes de ecotoxicidade. Foi observado que a camada de revestimento atua como barreira que inibe a degradação do plástico quando exposto às intempéries. Adicionalmente, constatou-se que quanto maior o grau de conversão das formulações pigmentadas pastosas em sólidas durante a cura por radiação ultravioleta, maior foi sua mineralização em ambiente de compostagem. As amostras curadas por EB apresentaram menor taxa de biodegradação do que as curadas por UV. Isso se deu em virtude da rede de ligações cruzadas entre as cadeias poliméticas, geradas na cura por EB. A adição dos agentes pró-degradantes promoveu uma aceleração no processo de degradação, ocasionando, inclusive, a migração do íon metálico para o meio, porém sem afetar a qualidade do meio de compostagem. / The high level of pollution generated by the inadequate disposal of polymeric materials has motivated the search for environmentally friendly systems and techniques such as the application of biodegradable polymers and the replacement of the solvent-based paint systems by those with high solids content, based water or cured by radiation, practically free of volatile organic compounds. However, the cured polymer coatings are neither soluble nor molten, increasing the complexity of the reprocessing, recycling and degradation. Thus, this work aimed to develop print inks modified with pro-degrading agents, cured by ultraviolet radiation or electron beam, for printing or decoration in plastic packaging products of short lifetime, which are biodegradable or not. Six coatings (varnish and inks in five colors: yellow, blue, white, black and red), three pro-degrading agents (cobalt stearate, cerium stearate and manganese stearate), five polymeric substrates (Ecobras®, low density polyethylene and its respective modifications with pro-degrading agents). The coatings were applied to the substrates and cured by ultraviolet radiation or electron beam, resulting in 180 samples. These materials were then exposed to accelerated aging chamber, type \"QUV\", and composting in natural environment. In order to assess the effects of the polymer coatings on the degradation process of the specimens, only the yellow and black samples were exposed to a controlled composting environment via respirometry, reducing to 16 the number of samples. The organic compound generated by the biodegradation process was analyzed by the ecotoxicity tests. It was observed that the coating layer acted as a barrier that inhibits degradation of the plastic when exposed to weathering. The addition of pro-degrading agents promoted acceleration in the degradation process, promoting the migration of the metal ion to the medium without affecting the final quality of the organic compost.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T17:31:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 SILVIA CRISTINA LIMBERGER.pdf: 9653999 bytes, checksum: da4450bc0f7c2702676d117e10c14d38 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-07-16 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This study is a review of capital accumulation in plastic packaging industry in Brazil, specifically targeted to the State of Parana, where we seek to discover how the industry has developed in this sector especially in the state and its regions with slow industrial development, where characterizes the consolidation of traditional sectors with lower technological level. To understand the dynamics of the packaging sector, there are some key elements as, II PND Policy (National Development Plan), which required investment for all Brazilian petrochemical chain in the 1970s; expansion of the national petrochemical industry and its reorganizing production in the 1990s; goods manufacturing industry for the plastic packaging sector that constitutes a lever for development; food and beverage industry, the main consumer market of plastic packaging. We demonstrate these features from the case study and analysis of spatial strategies of companies linked to the sector in the state of Parana. / O presente trabalho analisa a acumulação de capital no setor de embalagens plásticas no Brasil e, sobretudo, no Estado do Paraná. Buscamos descobrir como a indústria de embalagens plásticas se desenvolveu no Paraná, principalmente nas regiões do Estado com lento desenvolvimento industrial, que tem como característica a consolidação de setores tradicionais com menor grau tecnológico. Como elementos centrais para compreender a dinâmica do setor de embalagens plásticas estão a política do II PND (Plano Nacional de Desenvolvimento), que demandou investimentos para toda a cadeia petroquímica brasileira na década de 1970; a expansão da indústria petroquímica nacional e sua reorganização produtiva na década de 1990; a indústria de bens de produção para o setor de embalagens plásticas, que se constitui como alavanca para o desenvolvimento tecnológico; e a indústria alimentícia e de bebidas, principal mercado consumidor das embalagens plásticas. Buscamos demonstrar essas características a partir do Estado do Paraná, onde analisamos as estratégias espaciais de empresas ligadas ao setor.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-12T14:42:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 SILVIA CRISTINA LIMBERGER.pdf: 9653999 bytes, checksum: da4450bc0f7c2702676d117e10c14d38 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-07-16 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This study is a review of capital accumulation in plastic packaging industry in Brazil, specifically targeted to the State of Parana, where we seek to discover how the industry has developed in this sector especially in the state and its regions with slow industrial development, where characterizes the consolidation of traditional sectors with lower technological level. To understand the dynamics of the packaging sector, there are some key elements as, II PND Policy (National Development Plan), which required investment for all Brazilian petrochemical chain in the 1970s; expansion of the national petrochemical industry and its reorganizing production in the 1990s; goods manufacturing industry for the plastic packaging sector that constitutes a lever for development; food and beverage industry, the main consumer market of plastic packaging. We demonstrate these features from the case study and analysis of spatial strategies of companies linked to the sector in the state of Parana. / O presente trabalho analisa a acumulação de capital no setor de embalagens plásticas no Brasil e, sobretudo, no Estado do Paraná. Buscamos descobrir como a indústria de embalagens plásticas se desenvolveu no Paraná, principalmente nas regiões do Estado com lento desenvolvimento industrial, que tem como característica a consolidação de setores tradicionais com menor grau tecnológico. Como elementos centrais para compreender a dinâmica do setor de embalagens plásticas estão a política do II PND (Plano Nacional de Desenvolvimento), que demandou investimentos para toda a cadeia petroquímica brasileira na década de 1970; a expansão da indústria petroquímica nacional e sua reorganização produtiva na década de 1990; a indústria de bens de produção para o setor de embalagens plásticas, que se constitui como alavanca para o desenvolvimento tecnológico; e a indústria alimentícia e de bebidas, principal mercado consumidor das embalagens plásticas. Buscamos demonstrar essas características a partir do Estado do Paraná, onde analisamos as estratégias espaciais de empresas ligadas ao setor.

Almost five million tonnes of household waste was generated in Sweden in 2018, half of which was residual waste sent for incineration with energy recovery. For materials that can not be recycled or biologically treated, incineration with energy recovery is considered a preferred management option. The issue is that the fraction for residual waste contains considerable amounts of wrongly sorted materials, such as food waste and plastic packaging, which can be recycled or biologically treated, thus causing a smaller environmental impact. To quantify the composition and waste quantities of the wrongly sorted materials a waste composition analysis of the residual waste from four community bins in Västmanland county was conducted. The analysis revealed that about two-thirds of the waste was wrongly sorted and only one-third was actual residual waste. Life cycle analysis was subsequently used to calculate the carbon footprint of the wrongly sorted food waste and plastic packaging waste as well as the carbon footprint from optimal sorting and treatment of the materials. The investigation concluded that for food waste, anaerobic digestion caused a smaller climate impact than incineration with energy recovery and for plastic packaging, recycling generated a smaller climate impact than incineration with energy recovery. The size of the carbon footprint for the different management methods was in line with the priority order given in the waste hierarchy, stated in Swedish legislation.  However, the size of the potential climate savings partly depended on the choices made in the life cycle analysis where the most sensitive parameters were related to external production of heat, polymer resin and vehicle fuel. If the potential climate savings is extrapolated for VafabMiljö's entire collecting area, the total climate savings per year would be 8 263 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per year for food waste and 2 070 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per year for plastic packaging waste. This would be equivalent to driving 1 250 laps around the Earth with a car every year or flying 14 900 times Sweden–Thailand back and forth every year. / Nästan fem miljoner ton hushållsavfall genererades i Sverige under 2018, varav ungefär hälften skickades till energiåtervinning. För avfall som inte kan materialåtervinnas eller behandlas biologiskt anses energiåtervinning vara den bästa metoden för avfallshantering. Problemet är att stora mängder återvinningsbart material såsom matavfall och plastförpackningar felaktigt hamnar i restavfallet när det istället hade kunnat återvinnas och på så sätt medfört en mindre miljöpåverkan. För att kvantifiera samansättning och avfallsmängder av det felaktigt sorterade materialet, gjordes en plockanalys på restavfallet från fyra miljöbodar i Västmanland. Analysen visade att ungefär två tredjedelar av materialet var felaktigt sorterat och endast en tredjedel utgjordes av övrigt restavfall. Livscykelanalys användes därefter för att beräkna klimatavtrycket för det felaktigt sorterade matavfallet och för plastförpackningarna som återfanns i restavfallet såväl som klimatavtrycket för optimal sortering och hantering av materialen. Ordningen i avfallshierarkin visade sig stämma väl överens med klimatavtrycket från de olika behandlingsmetoderna i det undersökta området. För matavfall innebar rötning en lägre klimatpåverkan än energiåtervinning och för plastförpackningar medförde materialåtervinning en lägre klimatpåverkan än energiåtervinning. Storleken på besparingarna av växthusgaser berodde dock till viss del på val av inparametrar och de faktorer som främst påverkade var alternativ produktion av värme, plastråvara och drivmedel. Om resultaten extrapoleras över hela VafabMiljös upphämtningsområde så skulle de totala klimatbesparingarna för matavfall vara 8 263 ton koldioxidekvivalenter per år och för plastförpackningar 2 070 ton koldioxidekvivalenter per år. Dessa besparingar är jämförbara med bilkörning motsvarande 1 250 varv runt jorden varje år eller 14 900 tur- och returresor med flyg Sverige–Thailand varje år.