Sweden targets recycling workplaces over toxic dust and metals

Sweden’s Work Environment Authority is inspecting recycling workplaces after research found excessive exposure to dust and metals. The checks run from October 2026 to December 2027 and cover recycling centres, landfills and businesses handling electronics, batteries, metals, tyres and hazardous waste.

Arbetsmiljöverket said the Green Metal Waste study found that a substantial share of workers were exposed above Swedish limits. Some had raised levels of lead or mercury in blood or urine; one in five participants had elevated blood levels of more than ten metals.

Inspectors will check whether employers list chemical hazards, assess the risks and keep exposure within legal limits. The authority says dust and chemical exposure can cause serious illnesses, including asthma, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Employers should first tackle risks at their source, for example by reducing dust, enclosing processes or installing effective extraction. Respiratory protection should be a last resort after other measures have been exhausted.

The inspections will examine whether those protections are in place, rather than treating a mask as a substitute for a safer workplace.

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