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Monday, May 12, 2025

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-municipalities-demand-millions-from-garbage-queen-in-waste-dumping-scandal/

Sweden

Swedish municipalities demand millions from “garbage queen” in waste dumping scandal

Published today 7:26
– By Editorial Staff
A mountain of rubbish in Botkyrka, south of Stockholm, shows the extent of the environmental scandal involving the company Think Pink.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Several Swedish municipalities are demanding over SEK 260 million (€23.5 million) from “the garbage queen” Fariba Vancor and scandal-ridden company Think Pink for illegal dumping of waste. The trial, which is also Sweden’s largest environmental crime case, concluded last week and the verdict is expected in mid-June.

Between 2015 and 2020, Think Pink dumped approximately 200,000 tons of construction and demolition waste at 21 sites in 15 municipalities, including Botkyrka, Västerås, Norrtälje, and Eskilstuna, instead of recycling it.

The municipalities have been forced to clean up and remove the waste at great expense. The affected municipalities are now demanding millions in damages, reports Dagens Industri.

Environmental crime on a record scale

Prosecutors and environmental authorities claim that Think Pink, led by Fariba Vancor and co-founder Thomas Nilsson, systematically accepted and dumped approximately 200,000–220,000 tons of construction and demolition waste on industrial sites, gravel pits, and other locations.

Botkyrka, Västerås, Eskilstuna, Flen, Gullspång, Haninge, Huddinge, Håbo, Laxå, Norberg, Norrtälje, Skövde, Strängnäs, Uppsala, and Östhammar are among the affected municipalities.

The waste has often been dumped near water protection areas, storm drains, and residential areas, causing significant environmental and health risks.

The municipalities have been forced to clean up, transport, and treat the waste at enormous cost. Botkyrka municipality alone is now demanding up to SEK 125 million (€11.5 million) in compensation.

Västerås municipality has submitted a claim for SEK 66.6 million (€60 million), and several other municipalities – including Eskilstuna, Flen, and Norrtälje – have their own claims amounting to millions. In total, the claims for damages amount to approximately SEK 260–262 million (€23.5 million).

– We have not yet made any decision on how to deal with the remaining waste, but are awaiting the outcome of the court case, says Marianne Lidman Hägnesten, director of environmental and health protection in Västerås.

Trial concluded

The trial against Fariba Vancor, Thomas Nilsson, and nine other individuals concluded on May 8 after more than 80 days of proceedings.

Prosecutors are seeking six years in prison for Vancor, Nilsson, and several other former executives, as well as financial liability for the environmental crimes. The verdict is expected to be announced on June 17, according to tax-funded SVT.

Think Pink and its parent company were declared bankrupt in 2020, and since the company has no assets, the claims for damages are now also being directed against the individuals charged, which makes the process legally complicated.

Large amounts of waste remain at several of the affected sites, posing a continuing environmental risk. Municipalities and county councils warn that chemicals and hazardous substances risk leaking into the ground and water if the clean-up is not completed.

Fariba Vancor has denied any wrongdoing in questioning and claims that she followed the law. However, the prosecution argues that the Think Pink scandal is Sweden’s largest and most extensive environmental crime case ever.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Facts: The Think Pink trial

  • Sweden's largest environmental crime investigation in 50 years revolves around the company Think Pink, led by Fariba Vancor (formerly Bella Nilsson). Eleven people are accused of environmental crimes, five of which are aggravated environmental crimes.
  • The prosecution concerns the handling of approximately 200,000 tons of construction and demolition waste that between 2015 and 2020 was dumped in at least 21 locations in central Sweden. The waste should have been recycled, but was instead piled up or buried.
  • The trial started in September 2024 and is scheduled to end on May 8. The verdict is expected in June 2025.
  • In addition to the environmental crimes, several people involved are also charged with serious financial crimes, which will be tried after the environmental case.

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Source: Public Prosecution Service

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/independent-swedish-mp-launches-new-party-for-normal-people-who-value-common-sense/

Sweden

Independent Swedish MP launches new party “for normal people who value common sense”

Published today 10:55
– By Editorial Staff
Elsa Widding hopes that in the future she will be able to focus more on the issues where she has the greatest expertise.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Outspoken Member of Parliament Elsa Widding has been a political independent in the Swedish Parliament since she left the Sweden Democrats in May 2023. Now she reveals that she plans to start a new party – with a launch date set for just one month from now.

– It has been a long discussion and a very long process, I can say that much. I have been open about the fact that I have been looking at various possibilities, and now I have decided to do this, she said in an interview with Swebb TV.

According to Widding, the party will be based on fifteen different areas that she describes as “very important”, but she does not want to reveal any further details about these before the launch on June 12.

– I’ve built it somewhat from the ground up, trying to find people responsible for each area who are experts. I believe this – having proper expertise – is something that has been lacking in the Riksdag.

– I’ve tried to build it almost like a small corporate group around each issue, so that there is strong competence. And of course, you can work in several such groups, but it’s about really driving these issues and being able to challenge.

“Everything is swept under the rug”

Widding believes that there is currently no real political opposition in the Riksdag. According to her, many decisions are passed without debate or opportunity for influence.

– On the big, important issues, things slip through far too easily. No one questions anything, she argues, citing the new pandemic law as an example of a lack of transparency.

– How did it come to this? We don’t get any information from the media. Everything is just swept under the rug. And new legislation keeps coming. We’re getting entangled in this, moving away from democracy and increasingly toward this globalized world order. Decisions are being made and we’re basically left behind.

– More eyes are needed on this and someone who can be active – and that’s easier if you’re more than just one person. It’s pretty tough for me, she adds.

Widding hopes that in the new party she will be able to focus more on climate and energy issues, which are her original area of expertise and what she most wants to work with.

“As down-to-earth as possible”

She emphasizes the importance of expertise, but also that politics must be grounded in reality and based on experience from the areas it affects.

– If I’m going to talk about agricultural policy, then I really want to have people who run a large farm and have lots of cows, who know what it entails. And the same goes for the economy – I also want very knowledgeable people there. But then I also try to make it as down-to-earth as possible, so that people really understand what it’s about.

The name of the party has not yet been made public. According to Widding, however, it will only run in the parliamentary election – not in municipal or regional elections – and she describes it as “a party for normal people who value common sense”.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-green-party-fuel-prices-to-rise-sharply-if-we-win-2026-election/

Sweden

Swedish Green Party: Fuel prices to rise sharply if we win 2026 election

The exaggerated climate crisis

Published yesterday 12:39
– By Editorial Staff
Amanda Lind, Green Party, promises higher fuel prices in case of an election win next year.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Swedish Green Party wants to see higher prices for petrol and diesel if it wins next year’s election and is counting on support from other red-green parties. The party is proposing a significantly higher reduction target and a new emissions trading system.

According to spokesperson Amanda Lind, Sweden risks missing several climate targets with its current policy and believes that a faster transition requires fossil fuels to become more expensive.

Amanda Lind emphasized in the tax-funded SVT program “30 minuter” that the party wants to raise the reduction obligation so that the price of gasoline and diesel initially rises by two to three kronor per liter, and then gradually more until 2030.

– It will be more expensive for us to manage the climate transition, Lind said.

Broad consensus

The Green Party wants to phase out the reduction obligation in the long term and instead introduce a national emissions trading system, where companies must purchase emission allowances from the state. Until this system is in place, the party wants the reduction obligation to be increased, which will directly affect the price at the pump.

Amanda Lind believes that the entire opposition supports this approach and that there is broad agreement that traditional fuels must cost more.

The Kristersson government has previously lowered the reduction obligation and thus fuel prices, which the Green Party believes has slowed down electrification and climate work. To mitigate the impact on households with long distances to travel, the party wants to introduce targeted support and at the same time invest in public transport and electric cars.

Overall, the Green Party’s proposal means that fuel prices will increase gradually over the coming years if the red-green coalition wins the 2026 election.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-study-climate-smart-school-lunch-may-cause-iron-deficiency/

Sweden

Swedish study: “Climate smart” school lunch may cause iron deficiency

Published 9 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

When schools implement “climate-smart” school lunches, by replacing meat with plant-based food, the amount of iron absorbed by the body decreases. Teenage girls are particularly affected, according to a thesis from the University of Gothenburg.

The thesis collected data through a survey sent to the municipalities’ food services, where 167 of Sweden’s 290 municipalities responded. Furthermore, 76 school menus were analyzed over a four-week period.

The results show that none of the analyzed menus provided enough absorbable iron for girls who have a higher need. Often, beef is replaced with plant-based protein sources such as soy to make them more so-called climate-friendly, but even though soy is high in iron, the body cannot absorb it all.

– Soy-based dishes are high in iron, but the body can only absorb around 3% of it. For girls, who have high iron requirements, this is particularly problematic, says Mari Wollmar, author of the thesis, in a press release.

In comparison, the body was able to absorb about 14% of the iron from beef-based dishes, which are thought to have the highest climate impact.

Furthermore, the research shows that it is often women who eat less meat, and more food that is said to have less climate impact. This makes them more vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies.

Wollmar has developed a “hybrid recipe” that combines plant-based ingredients with a small amount of meat and vitamin C-rich foods that increase iron absorption.

– These recipes reduced the climate impact by 38%, while the nutritional content was sufficient and the taste was appreciated by a test panel, says Wollmar.

A recently published study from Lund University shows that more than one in three Swedish female high school students is iron deficient. The risk was particularly high among vegans and vegetarians.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/viking-era-cultural-heritage-site-in-sweden-looted-in-overnight-raid/

Sweden

Viking-era cultural heritage site in Sweden looted in overnight raid

Published 8 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Anundshög is usually described as one of Sweden's most important ancient monument areas.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

This week, the important ancient site Anundshög was subjected to extensive looting – apparently with the help of a metal detector.

– First you get angry, and then you just feel empty. It’s actually hard to find the words, says the disheartened archaeologist Sara Wisén Saveca.

Someone, or several people, under the cover of darkness, dug over 50 holes of varying sizes in the ground at the Viking-era heritage site outside Västerås.

The incident has caused dismay among both experts and the public. Although archaeologists believe that historical objects once buried there are now gone, it remains unclear what treasures the looters actually made off with.

– Some likely used a metal detector and dug into the ground where they got a signal. They have removed things that we would want to excavate archaeologically in order to gain knowledge about the Viking Age, says Nina Eklöf, director of Västerås Museums.

“Been here for thousands of years”

She’s keeping her fingers crossed that the thieves were unlucky and only found modern, lost objects, such as iron nails and horseshoes – but points out that they could just as easily be artifacts from the Bronze Age or other historical eras now lost to science.

– Since this place is still one of the sites in Sweden that holds a wealth of knowledge, they may also have taken important information with them that could help us understand this Viking-era site.

– It’s impossible to explain the feeling of how something can so quickly destroy something that has been here for thousands of years, she continues.

“Vandalism against our shared cultural heritage”

A report has been filed with the police, who say they have visited nearby residents in the hope that someone may have observed the thieves.

Minister of Culture Parisa Liljestrand (M) is one of many who have drawn attention to the crime and says that the incident makes her “furious“.

“This is not just theft – this is a purely indecent act of vandalism against our shared cultural heritage”, she noted on social media.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

A historically important site

Anundshög is Sweden's largest burial mound and is located in Badelunda, about five kilometers east of Västerås in Västmanland. The burial mound measures about nine meters in height and has a diameter of 64 to 68 meters. It was built during the Late Iron Age, sometime between 500 and 1050 AD, and is believed to have been a central place for the exercise of power and events during this period. During the Middle Ages, the area was also used as a courthouse.

The area around Anundshög is rich in archaeological remains, including several shipwrecks, smaller burial mounds, stone circles, a labyrinth and a remarkable rune stone – Vs 13 – which is over three meters high. The rune inscription reads: ”Folkvid erected all these stones after his son Heden, Anund's brother. Vred cut the runes. ”

According to tradition, the medieval Eriksgatan, the historical route that newly elected kings traveled along to be recognized by the provinces, passed Anundshög, as marked by erected stones along the way. Today, Anundshög is a well-visited cultural heritage site with guided tours, information signs and regular events such as Archaeology Day.

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