Living
for the future
Sweden ranks first in the EU in consumption of organic foods,
leads the way in recycling drinks cans and bottles, and gets the highest share
of its energy from renewable sources. What’s more, Swedish fashion retailer
H&M is a world leader in using organic cotton and the Government has
allocated SEK 400 million for research and development of environment technology.
Green
Swedes
In Europe, where the organic food market is growing by 5-7 per
cent a year, Sweden ranks at the top of the green shoppers list. A study by the
European Commission found that 40 per cent of Swedes had purchased an
eco-labeled item in the past month, which is more often than the European
average.
In recent years, more stores with organic apparel have opened
while established brands have started to use organic fabrics in their
collections. According to the organization Textile Exchange, H&M is the
world’s largest user of organic cotton.
Vintage
fashion
The secondhand clothing market, both in stores and online, is
also growing. Vintage fashion is so popular that even established chains are
selling second-hand items. Swedish clothing company Weekday sells vintage
pieces alongside new apparel, as does fashion store Grandpa. Sweden’s
first and only vintage clothing fair, Vintagemässan, started in Stockholm in
2008, and now attracts more than 6,000 people every year.
Recycling
leader
Swedes are conscientious about recycling beverage containers.
The target of including 90 per cent of all aluminum cans and PET bottles in the
recycling system is close to being reached, today hitting about 85 per cent.
According to recent statistics from Swedish recycling company
Returpack, Swedes returned an average of 180 cans and bottles per person for
deposit. In recent years, Returpack has introduced a number of measures to get
people to recycle more, including doubling the deposit on containers and
innovative advertising campaigns, such as Pantamera
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