Various aspects of the waste and resource management industry in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden are rightly seen as world leading. At an important time in Nordic Waste Policy, the 2018 Circular Economy Package made significant updates to key EU directives. This work looked back at the Nordic regulatory framework for waste from the 1970s and its effect on waste prevention and recycling. To identify the policies that have had a significant impact on waste generation and recycling rates, an econometric analysis was carried out for the five Nordic countries with a sufficient time series of data.

Multiple municipalities and their waste management practices were documented in the following countries:
 

• Denmark
• Faroe Islands
• Finland (including Åland)
• Greenland
• Iceland
• Norway
• Sweden

The econometric model included macroeconomic variables that would be likely to affect the waste generation and recycling rates. These were: population; real gross domestic product; and real household consumption. Panel data analysis was carried out in addition to an individual country analysis. The panel data overcame issues around small numbers of data points and was more robust than the country-specific analysis.

The results show that packaging taxes and recovery targets as policies have a negative effect on waste generation. Some policies that show a positive effect on the recycling rate are: landfill bans on combustible and biodegradable waste; a deposit refund system for metal containers; and extended producer responsibility. The paper then provides various areas of required change for a shift away from incineration, such as an increase in coverage of separate door-to-door collection of recyclables and biowaste, and the development of new recycling infrastructure, amongst others.

The paper provides detailed information on which policies to implement for waste generation and recycling efficiency in a circular economy. This is interesting for cities and regions to learn from and consider for their policies. The areas of required change can also be implemented by cities and regions.

The paper covers multiple value chains, such as plastics, waste management and land use, and addresses changes in policies that affect and integrate multiple stakeholders. Therefore, this paper can also provide relevant policy insights that can support development and implementation of relevant Circular Systemic Solutions.