Sustainability & Equality
Sweden is a global leader in sustainability and equality — and that's not PR, but lived reality:
Sustainability
- Recycling: Sweden recycles 99% of its household waste — the country even imports waste from other countries (Norway, the UK) to keep its highly efficient waste incineration plants running, which generate district heating for hundreds of thousands of households. The deposit system "Pant" for bottles and cans works perfectly: 1–2 SEK deposit per container, return at the supermarket machine. The recycling rate for PET bottles is 84%.
- Renewable Energy: Over 60% of Swedish electricity comes from renewable sources (mainly hydropower and wind). Goal: 100% renewable by 2040. Sweden has more wind turbines per capita than almost any other country.
- Flygskam: The Swedish concept of "flight shame" (flygskam), coined by climate activist Greta Thunberg (who hails from Stockholm), has sparked a global debate on climate-friendly travel. Many Swedes take the train instead of flying — even over long distances. The night trains to Narvik and Kiruna have become significantly fuller since the flygskam debate.
- Second Hand: Vintage shopping and reuse are not a subculture in Sweden, but mainstream. Stadsmissionen and Myrorna (second-hand chains) are prominently represented in every city and socially accepted — even high earners shop there.
Equality
- Sweden regularly ranks 1–5 in the Global Gender Gap Report
- Parental Leave: 480 days per child (of which 90 days are reserved for each parent, non-transferable). Fathers use an average of 30% of parental leave — more than in almost any other country. The "Latte-Papa" (father with stroller and latte) is an everyday sight.
- Same-sex marriage has been legal since 2009 — the Swedish state church marries homosexual couples
- Gender-neutral pronoun "hen" officially in the Swedish Academy word list since 2015
- Free childcare from 1 year — enables both parents to work
- Women in Parliament: 46% (Riksdag) — one of the highest worldwide
