Until recently, communication on waste sorting and treatment differed from country to country and often from municipality to municipality in the Nordic countries. In 2017, a national pictogram system was launched in Denmark and in 2020 the system was launched in Norway, Sweden and Iceland. The plan is to launch it in Finland in 2022. 

Through the use of the same waste symbols, citizens can receive the same communication on waste sorting, making it easier for all citizens to sort their waste correctly and thereby contributing to an increase in material recycling.

With funding from the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Nordic municipal waste organizations have worked together to implement this system in our countries.