After swine fever outbreak: Municipalities see gaps in garbage disposal

70 municipalities are now reviewing their landfills and considering taking action following the outbreak of swine fever two weeks ago. This shows a survey conducted by Nyheterna.

– That’s how you feel ashamed when you think about how we should have done earlier, says Titti Jansson of Sydnärke’s municipal association, which handles waste management for four municipalities in Närke.

The outbreak of swine fever in Fagersta put the risks of the cuts around our waste management in the spotlight. A survey Nyheterna made among the 237 municipalities, which are considered to have a wild boar population in the country, shows that 42% of those who answered, a total of 70 municipalities are now reviewing possible measures.

Among them is Sydnärke’s municipal association, which manages waste management for Askersund, Hallsberg, Laxå and Lekeberg.

– Right now we clean up extra and we will clean more often. We look over fences and will be more careful when tipping so that rubbish doesn’t end up next to it, says Titti Jansson informant at Sydnärke’s municipal association.

“Terrible”

The four municipalities have their reloading station in Askersund where household waste is reloaded into containers for further transport. In the garbage, there is both ordinary garbage and bags of food waste, and carelessness with container lids that do not close or bags that end up outside the containers, hungry ravens have been quick to exploit. The birds have dragged packaging away even outside the fence, where the garbage risks attracting wild boar.

– We haven’t had any visits from wild boar, so we probably didn’t realize that it was such a big problem before. It’s really terrible. We can do better. We must do better. We don’t want this infection to spread further, says Titti Jansson.

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