The document discusses strategies for promoting more resource efficient consumption in Sweden. It notes that Sweden's environmental quality objectives are not expected to be met by 2020 and that greenhouse gas emissions per capita need to be reduced. Three paths are highlighted to make consumers more resource efficient: 1) minimizing food waste, 2) increasing product lifespan through repair and maintenance, and 3) collaborative consumption through sharing, exchanging, and borrowing products. Specific proposals include expanding education on reducing food waste, investigating economic incentives for repair over new purchases, and supporting new business models around collaborative consumption.

1. ”The resource
efficient consumer”
IVA, 25 March 2015
Åsa Söderberg
Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
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4. “What we extract from nature should be used, reused,
recycled or finally disposed of in a sustainable manner,
with the least possible consumption of resources and
without harm to the natural environment”.
Strategy for non-toxic, resource saving
environmental life cycles, 2008
- Our life style
- Our consumer behaviour
- Our options
- How we use and dispose of goods
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5. Material consumption in the EU and Sweden
by material category, 2013 (tonnes per capita)
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Source: Statistics Sweden and Eurostat. Material consumption is defined as:
domestic extraction + import – export.

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Source: Living Planet Report 2014 (WWF)
Per capita Ecological Footprint (global
hectares demanded per person)
”Top ten”:
1. Kuwait
2. Quatar
3. United Arab Emirates
4. Denmark
5. Belgium
6. Trinidad and Tobago
7. Singapore
8. United States of America
9. Bahrain
10. Sweden

7. Sweden´s 16 environmental quality objectives
– most not expected to be met by 2020
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8. Greenhouse gas emissions per inhabitant
(Climate Programme for Gothenburg 2014)
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20502012

9. In-depth evaluation of Sweden´s
environmental objectives 2015 (in
progress)
Three focus areas:
• Environmental work in the business sector
• Sustainable consumtion
• Sustainable cities
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10. Three paths are highlighted to bring
about resource efficient consumers:
1. Minimise waste in the food chain
2. Increase product life span through repair and
maintenance
3. Collaborative consumtion
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(Report to be published before summer)

11. 1. Minimise waste in the food chain
• High and rising level of consumtion (households)
• Limited application of steering instruments
• Proposal: Extend and expand on-going
Government commission (i.e. information
campaign)
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12. 2. Increase product life span through
repair and maintenance
• Product life spans are decreasing
• Environmental costs are not internalised
• Proposal: Investigate use of economic steering
instruments in order to change the relation in
price between repairing and buying new products.
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13. 3. Collaborative consumtion –
exchanging, sharing, and borrowing from
each other
• Primarily products that are seldom used, expensive
and/or high-maintenance (such as vehicles, tools,
household appliances)
• New field for public agencies
• Proposal: Investigate application of taxes, changes in
legislation, supporting business => new business
models
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14. Thank You!
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