Sortereringsgrad

Sortereringsgrad describes the degree to which waste streams are sorted into separate fractions for recycling and recovery. It is commonly expressed as the share (percentage) of the total waste that is collected as separated material rather than as mixed residual waste. The concept is used in municipal waste management to assess the performance of source sorting and recycling systems.

Calculation: Sorteringsgrad = (mass of sorted material diverted from mixed waste / total waste generated) × 100. In practice, 'sorted material' can include paper, glass, metal, plastic, organics, depending on local fractions. Some assessments report per-material sorting degree (for example, paper grade, glass) as well as overall.

Factors: infrastructure (separate collection containers, recycling centers), legislation, incentives, public participation, contamination levels, and data quality. Methods: source separation by households; or post-segregation at facilities.

Benefits and challenges: Higher sorteringsgrad typically leads to higher recycling rates and lower landfill use, but measurement is challenging due to definitional differences, disparities in what counts as sorted, and contamination, which can reduce recyclability.

Policy relevance: used in Nordic and EU contexts to monitor progress toward recycling and circular economy targets. Comparability across regions is limited unless consistent definitions and data are used.

Etymology and usage: The term is used in Norwegian waste management literature and reports; synonyms include sortering av avfall.

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