‘Good Riddance’: Sorting out ‘Bad’ Residues from the Swedish Biofuel Economy

Marie Widengård

doi:10.3384/VS.2001-5992.2025.12.2.237–257

Authors

Marie Widengård School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2273-6276

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3384/VS.2001-5992.2025.12.2.237–257

Keywords:

Carbon offsetting, Voluntary carbon markets, Valuation, Economization, Tools of valuation

Abstract

This article examines the reclassification of palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) in Sweden's biofuel sector and its broader implications for the ‘good economy’. Initially classified as a residue, PFAD was subject to minimal sustainability oversight, in line with the practice of transforming waste into valuable, sustainable products. However, due to its association with the controversial palm oil industry, PFAD was reclassified as a co-product, subjecting it to stricter scrutiny. Using the concept of ‘de-scription’, this study explores how this reclassification alters PFAD’s sustainability profile, highlighting how classification systems act as valuation tools. It also shows how a subtractive logic (ridding) can help maintain a favourable economic image. The research challenges the assumption that biofuel residues are inherently sustainable and critiques the minimalist regulatory approach of residual governance, which allows materials classified as residues to escape rigorous oversight.

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