How to live sustainably in
SWEDEN

The official language is Swedish but many speak English and a 3rd language.
Sweden is a multicultural society with more than 180 different nationalities.
In Sweden, people hug as form of greeting.
Sweden is a very cash-less society. We pay through apps and credit cards.
A Swedish saying is: There’s no bad weather, just bad clothing. What do you think that means?

Find out more about Sweden! – Facts, geography and demographics

Welcome to Sweden! – Life and Customs

”Allemansrätt” – ”freedom to roam”.
Is the publics right to roam freely in nature. Meaning we can walk, cycle, ski, camp, pick mushrooms, flowers and berries and fish in one of the great five lakes.
Public transport and commuting – It’s easy to get around in Sweden by bus or train. You can get online tickets, track the arrival/departure time and plan ahead. Some are sj.se, flixbus
Recycling everywhere – Usually you find different bins and paper bags in a household to recycle glass, plastic, food waste etc. There are recycling bins located in most neighbourhoods, parks, public beaches
”Panta” (means recycle) your soda cans and plastic bottles. It’s very Swedish to see people carry bags of empty soda cans and plastic bottles to the grocery store. You get 1 SEK for a soda can/ small bottle, 2 SEK for a large plastic bottle.
Clean water – In Sweden we have the luxury of 100% access to clean water. No need to buy bottled water!
Reduce ”matsvinn” (food waste) – More and more shops in Sweden are starting to sell goods cheaper with short expiration date. This is to reduce so called ”matsvinn” – food waste.
Urban bees, some larger cities are ”buzzing” on the roof tops and in parks. Beehives have been built to promote biodiversity and save the disappearance of bees.

5.91 tons

Swedish Average carbon footprint/ person 2022-2023

Walk or cycle if you can. In all urban areas you can rent-a-bike or an electric scooter. You can also buy a second-hand bike if your Erasmus+ stay is longer.
Public transportation – Go by bus, metro or train. Many Swedes commute between different cities to work or study. For instance a train ride between Malmö and Lund is 12 minutes. By car it’s 20-25 minutes and parking is expensive.

Most buildings have central heating, are well insulated and electric heating isn’t necessary. But if you think it’s cold – put on an extra sweater and warm socks.
Don’t buy bottled water! Tap water is fully drinkable in Sweden.
Most Swedish households have already installed faucets/taps that are energy-and water efficient.

recycle, recycle, recycle!
You can find recycling bins everywhere: in households, work places, parks, residential areas. So, use them, please!
You can easily recognise what to put where by the symbols on the bins.
The PANTA movement to recycle soda cans and PET bottles you find these stations in every store.