Sweden’s economy is 3,4 % circular

RE:Source, a strategic innovation program, has just unveiled Sweden’s very first Circularity Gap Report. According to it, Swedes consume more than twice as many materials as the global average. By acting now, Sweden can reduce this material footprint by over 42%.

The Circularity Gap Report Sweden is an analysis of Sweden's material flows that shows how circular the country is. On April 21, 2022, RE:Source presented the results, followed by a panel discussion with Svante Axelsson from Fossil Free Sweden, Jenny Svärd from the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise and Anders Wijkman, among others.

At 3.4%, Sweden’s circularity metric reflects its current cultural, economic and geographic realities. This report, produced by Circle Economy and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, shows that there is a lot left to do. Presenting the findings, Circle Economy’s Matthew Fraser emphasised their role in provoking discussion and opening pathways for improvement.

The circularity gap report number measures the resource reality of a country – how it consumes raw materials to fuel the needs of the society and how much is recycled back into the economy after use. More than that, Circularity Gap Reports suggest circular transition pathways and inspire action towards a more sustainable, circular future. The Netherlands is a global frontrunner in the race to circularity with a Circularity Metric of 24.5%. At 2.4%, Norway's circularity rate, which was released in 2021, is below global average (8.6%).

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