The objective of this study was to gather the missing information regarding storage techniques (i.e., loose compact, hard compact, cylindrical bales, rectangular bales) and self-ignition in storage sites for organic recyclable and solid-waste fuels from a life-cycle perspective. There is a need to compile and analyze information regarding self-ignition events because there is a lack of such studies. Its importance is evident from the fact that millions of euros are lost every year in Sweden because of spontaneous fires. These fires cause loss of valuable material and injuries to people, and they are also associated with intense environmental pollution, in particular in the form of smoke and water pollution. This study is based on a questionnaire survey among the members of the Swedish waste management association (Avfall Sverige), whose members service 95% of the Swedish population. The response to the survey was 60%. A total of 96 major surface fires have been reported in the past 10 years at storage sites. 74% of these 96 fire incidents were due to self-ignition, 11% were due to known causes other than self-ignition and 15% were due to unknown reasons. In reference to the type of storage, 50% of these 96 fire incidents took place at sites that store both household and industrial waste, 20% at sites that store only industrial waste, and 30% at sites that store household, industrial, and agricultural waste. Regarding the most frequent cause of fire at any storage site, 33% of respondents relate the fire incidents with extreme hot weather conditions, 8% of respondents report that fire incidents at their storage site are mostly an aftereffect of rainfall, 13% relate the fire incidents with cold weather in December, and 46% of respondents experienced the fire incidents throughout the whole year. Furthermore, detailed statistics were collected regarding different storage techniques followed for municipal solid waste (MSW) in relation to contents and final destination processing plant. It was found that loose compact storage is the most popular way of storing MSW, followed by cylindrical bales. Based on data covering the last 10 years, the average annual amount of emissions of dioxins is (upper/lower bound) TCDD 0.03/0.12 g, PAH 0.98/3.7 tons, PCB 1.66/6.31 g, Hg 16.51/62.59 g, and VOC 18/68 tons from MSW storage fires in Sweden. Estimated emissions of dioxins from fires in waste storage sites correspond to emissions from the incineration of about 0.017 million tons of waste (Avfall Sverige data for 2008). In total, Sweden incinerated 0.35 million tons per annum during the period studied.