Hållbar Schaktmasshantering : En studie om återvinning och utmaningar i Sverige

Sammanfattning

This thesis examines sustainable management of excavated materials within the Swedish construction and civil engineering sector, with a focus on aligning practices with Agenda 2030 and Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Large volumes of excavated soil and rock—referred to as "schaktmassor"—are generated annually, and a significant portion is still landfilled, despite being potentially reusable or recyclable. The aim of the study is to investigate how the handling of these materials can be improved to reduce environmental impact and increase recycling rates. The study was conducted in collaboration with Skanska Industrial Solutions and is based on a combination of literature review, interviews, surveys, field observations, and internal data analysis from a resource park in central Sweden. The results show that while the majority of incoming materials are reused as fill, only a small proportion is refined into new products. Key barriers include irregular supply of quality material, technical limitations in sorting, low demand for recycled products, and insufficient coordination during early project planning stages. Despite these challenges, the study identifies significant potential. With advanced techniques such as wet screening, recycling rates could increase from approximately 24 percent to over 80 percent. Achieving this requires more efficient logistics, improved collaboration between stakeholders, greater market acceptance, and stronger policy and procurement incentives. A more circular approach to excavated material management can thereby reduce climate impact and promote resource efficiency in future construction projects.