Farmland ready to be used again

When a farmer established a new piece of farmland in Skåne, Southern Sweden, the landowner turned to Sortera.

During the 1970s to 1990s, it was common for municipalities to approve small areas of land for landfilling household and industrial waste, which was covered with a thin layer of soil. One such former landfill in Skåne was leased out as arable land. But when the farmer began ploughing, household waste appeared on the surface. An analysis of the site concluded that toxins were also leaching from the soil into a nearby stream. 

An environmentally safe measure for long-term benefit

Sortera’s mission was to reduce the leaching of toxins and ensure effective final coverage of the land. 

“We chose a simplified final cover with clay and excavated materials to reduce the infiltration of stormwater into the landfill,” explains Fredrik Tell, Head of Business Development at Sortera Syd. “The measure prevents the spread of toxins and creates long-term local environmental benefit.” 

The new final cover means that the land can now be used for agriculture, and the clay creates a protective barrier that encapsulates the pollutants.  

“We are continuously monitoring the area and taking regular samples to ensure that the final coverage is working as planned,” says Fredrik Tell. 

About leaching 

Leaching occurs when contaminants in the soil are released and spread by water. This can lead to the spread of environmental toxins over large areas. In Sweden, almost all municipalities have old landfills with some leaching, but without efforts from the private sector, there is often a lack of resources to deal with the problem effectively.