New household waste recycling system in spring 2023
In 2023, the municipalities in the capital region will introduce a new and standardised sorting system for household waste. Under the Circular Economy Act, which comes into force at the turn of the year, it will be mandatory to sort household waste into four categories at home: paper, plastic packaging, food waste and mixed waste.
New household waste sorting system in the capital region in spring 2023
In 2023, the municipalities in the capital region will introduce a new and standardised sorting system for household waste. Under the Circular Economy Act, which comes into force at the turn of the year, it will be mandatory to sort household waste into four categories at home: paper, plastic packaging, food waste and mixed waste.
The municipalities in the capital region, Garðabær, Hafnarfjörður, Kjósarhreppur, Kópavogur, Mosfellsbær, Reykjavík and Seltjarnarnes, have worked diligently on the preparations for the new system over the past two years. The implementation of the changes is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2023. Further details for each municipality will be presented at a later date.
Two to four barrels at home
Residents do not need to take any action regarding this change, other than adopting the new sorting methods. Bins for these four categories will be placed at residential properties as required. The main aim is to minimise the number of bins for residents, and in most cases, we will endeavour to place the bins in an existing space at the property. In the new system, there will therefore typically be two to three bins at detached properties, where dual-compartment bins will be offered. In blocks of flats, however, the arrangement will depend on the specific circumstances. Possible configurations can be viewed online. www.flokkum.is. There you will also find answers to the main questions about the new system.
Food waste sorted at all homes
Most households already separate plastic and paper from their mixed household waste. In the new sorting system, it is compulsory to separate food waste from other waste. To ease the transition, all households in the capital region will receive a free special bin for food waste and a paper bag for it. By separating food waste from general household waste, it can be recycled into methane and compost. The harmonised municipal sorting system will therefore significantly reduce the landfilling and subsequent incineration of waste, and support the implementation of the circular economy.
Alongside these changes, kerbside bins will be given a new role to accept metal, glass, textiles and refundable packaging, which by law must be sorted separately and collected from residents' homes.
All further information about the new classification system can be found at www.flokkum.is