Swedish mining industry

Heavy facts

Heavy facts about the Swedish mining and mineral industry. Did you know that you will need about 800 metric tons of metals and minerals in your life? Almost everything you see around you in your home has a direct connection to our bedrock – toothpaste, jewelry, appliances, batteries, windows, cell phone, computer and speaker. And when you step outside the door, the products from our bedrock are still everywhere – buses, cars, trains, bridges, lampposts, sculptures, signs and much more. Without metals and minerals, our modern lives would simply not be possible.

They are also absolutely necessary to take the step into the future. Wind turbines, batteries and other climate-efficient solutions required for the green transition also need metals and minerals that we have not mined before. Several of them are found in our bedrock.

In Sweden, we have a far more than thousand-year-old tradition of understanding and utilizing the rock’s raw materials. They are the start of long growing value chains and thus form a backbone of the Swedish economy.

Metals are elements and therefore recyclable an infinite number of times. They thus fit perfectly into the circular economy and also play a crucial role for the sustainable society. Metals mined in the mines are supplemented with recycled raw material. It is good for both the environment and the economy to combine primary and recycled raw materials in the processing process. Recycling alone does not cover the needs of today and the future. A growing population and new technological solutions for the climate require more metals and minerals in the circular flow.