Waste in Denmark - Columbia · PDF fileWaste in Denmark Ministry of Environment and Energy, ... mark has chosen another path than other ... electricity and heating

Danish Environmental Protection Agency

Waste in Denmark

Ministry of Environment and Energy, DenmarkDanish Environmental Protection Agency


Waste in Denmark


Contents

Waste in Denmark 3

A public-sector task 4

The Danish waste model 6

Challenges ahead 8

Waste – sectors and fractions 10

Waste from the building and construction sector 12

Packaging waste 14

Waste from households 16

Waste from industry 18

Waste from institutions, trade and offices 20

Waste from power, treatment and incineration plants 22

Waste is a problem for the environment.

But often, waste is also a resource which

should be utilised in an environmentally

efficient way.

Denmark, with a number of other EU

Member States, has come far in the area

of waste management. At one point, Den-

mark has chosen another path than other

European countries: we exploit much of

the energy in waste through incineration.

Denmark has a well-functioning system

ensuring environmentally acceptable

handling of all waste types. But we can do

better. The challenge of the future is to

exploit resources in waste even better and

to reduce environmental impacts. Further,

the quality of waste treatment must be

improved.

This brochure describes the Danish waste

management model and presents Waste

21 – the Government's Waste Manage-

ment Plan for the period 1998 to 2004.

Waste 21 sets the agenda of future waste

management in Denmark and launches a

number of new initiatives that will ensure

even better and more efficient waste man-

agement than we have today.

Waste in Denmark

Waste in Denmark 3

In Denmark, we generate just under 13

million tons of waste every year. It is a

public-sector task to ensure that collection

and treatment is handled properly – and that

the rate of recycling is as high as possible.

Danish waste policy comprises both pre-

vention and handling of waste.The overall

authority in waste matters is the Danish En-

vironmental Protection Agency. Local and

regional councils are in charge of the prac-

tical administration of waste management.

Waste management is planned in detail.

All local councils are under the obligation

to survey waste amounts and to draw up

waste management plans. Also, it is the

responsibility of local and regional councils

that sufficient incineration and landfill

capacity is available.

Waste hierarchyThe most important objective of our waste

management policy is to reduce waste

amounts. Prevention has top priority. By

environmental management and cleaner

technology it is possible to reduce the gen-

eration of waste, for example by taking

waste treatment into consideration already

at the design of products and by using less

environmentally harmful products.

This is in line with the integrated product

policy of the Danish Ministry of Environ-

ment and Energy, aiming at limiting re-

source consumption and environmental

impact for all products "from cradle-to-

grave".

Another aim is to recycle as much waste

as possible. Today, some 60 per cent of all

waste is recycled.

In Denmark, the waste hierarchy is the

basis for our prioritisation of waste man-

agement options. According to this hier-

archy, recycling ranks higher than inciner-

ation with energy recovery, and landfilling

ranks lowest.

Recycling is the highest ranking waste

treatment form – it ensures better ex-

ploitation of resources in waste. In Den-

mark incineration does not count as recy-

cling.

4 Residuos en Dinamarca

A public-sector task

Facts about Denmark

Area: 43,000 sq.km.

Inhabitants: 5.3 million

Municipalities: 275

Waste companies: 35

Counties: 14

Households: 2.4 million

VAT-registered

enterprises: approx. 413,000

GNP: DKK 981 billion

ECU 126.6 billion

Per capita GNP: DKK 185,584

Waste in Denmark 5

In the wastehierarchy, recyclingranks highest, sec-ond is incinerationwith energy recov-ery, and last, land-filling

Waste is incinerated when it cannot be re-

cycled, and when residues from incinera-

tion do not cause environmental problems.

Energy is recovered for generation of

electricity and heating.

Landfilling is the lowest ranking treat-

ment form – it does not exploit resources

in waste. Also, landfilling may lead to at-

mospheric pollution and to soil and

groundwater contamination. In Denmark,

landfilling of waste suitable for incinera-

tion has now been banned.

Recycling

Landfilling

Incineration

The Danish waste modelIn Denmark we have a close interplay be-

tween EU regulation and national regula-

tions on waste. EU regulations lay down

overall frameworks and principles, where-

as the Danish Folketing decides on organ-

isation and legislation in the area of

waste.

In Denmark – in contrast to many other

countries – we have chosen to manage

household waste and industrial and com-

mercial waste in a comprehensive waste

management system, covering both pack-

aging waste and hazardous waste.

Source separationThe principle of source separation is a

key element of the Danish model. For

some types of waste, e.g. paper, card-

board and glass, we have collection sys-

tems with source separation. These

schemes enjoy widespread acceptance

and are used extensively by citizens

and enterprises.

OrganisationThe practical organisation of waste

management is different from one

municipality to another. Large munici-

palities typically choose to manage

waste themselves, whereas most small

municipalities cooperate in intermu-

nicipal waste companies. Further, pri-

vate companies have been established

to operate mainly within collection of

household waste and industrial and

commercial waste, as well as recycling.

A network of intermunicipal transfer

stations has been set up for the man-

agement of hazardous waste, servicing

most municipalities in Denmark. A few

municipalities handle hazardous waste

themselves.

Policy instrumentsThe Danish waste model is based on a

combination of traditional administra-

tive instruments (acts, orders, circu-

lars), and various economic instru-

ments covering taxes and charges as

well as subsidy schemes and agree-

ments.

6 Waste in Denmark

Waste is separated in

containers atthe recycling

centres

7Waste in Denmark

In Denmark, we have a general state tax

on waste. The waste tax is differentiated

so that it is most expensive to landfill

waste, cheaper to incinerate it and tax ex-

empt to recycle it. Also, we have so-called

"green" taxes on for example packaging,

plastic bags, disposable tableware and

nickel-cadmium batteries.

In addition, deposit and return systems

have been established for a number of

packaging types. For example, packages

for beer and carbonated soft drinks must

be covered by a deposit and return sys-

tem.

The deposit and return system for beer

and soft drinks means that we prevent

management of some 390,000 tons of

waste every year, corresponding to

around 20 per cent of the total amount

of domestic waste from households.

Municipal councils may charge fees to

finance their waste management. Also,

for certain types of products such as

tyres and lead accumulators special fees

are charged to finance collection and

recycling.

State subsidy schemes have been estab-

lished for projects on cleaner technology

aiming at a reduction of environmental

impacts from products in a life cycle per-

spective. Subsidies may also be granted

to projects that aim at solving waste

problems by, for example, developing

new forms of treatment.

Also agreements are used as an instru-

ment to meet environmental targets in

the waste area. One example is an agree-

ment with the Danish Contractors' Asso-

ciation on selective demolition of build-

ing materials; another example is an

agreement with municipal councils on

CFC-containing refrigerators.

Policy Instruments:

In Denmark, the waste area is regu-

lated by both administrative and

economic instruments:

Acts

Orders

Circulars

Taxes

Agreements

Charges

Subsidies

Deposit-return

Challenges ahead

Waste 21, the Government's plan for the

Danish waste policy up to year 2004, en-

visages a change of focus resulting in an

environmental improvement of waste

management in Denmark.

Until today, focus has been on quantita-

tive aspects of waste management: waste

minimisation and increased recycling.

From now on, focus will also be on

qualitative targets: we want to increase

the quality of waste treatment. This

means less impact from environmental

Waste in Denmark8

contaminants and better utilisation of re-

sources in waste.

Resources mean both energy resources used

to generate raw materials and products,

raw material resources making up waste,

as well as energy that can be recovered,

for example by waste incineration.

Better quality in waste treatment is nec-

essary to minimise spreading of environ-

mental contaminants and optimise re-

source utilisation.

Waste is prevented i.a. by changed techonology. Coal-based power plants generate large amounts of fly ash.windmills do not generate waste

9Waste in Denmark

Differentiation of wasteOne of the key principles of Waste 21 is

to have more types of waste collected and

treated separately and to develop new

methods to treat waste. New methods of

treatment must be adapted to the waste

of the future.

Waste 21 also makes new requirements

to local councils who are responsible for

waste management. They must be pre-

pared to co-operate – also across borders

– so that new waste solutions are developed

in co-operation with enterprises and

citizens.

PreventionIn Waste 21 prevention of waste is a key

element. Overall waste volumes will be

stabilized. Future waste policy pays

special attention to xenobiotic substances.

The Danish Environmental Protection

Agency has drawn up a list of substances

that are undesired in products, as they

are harmful to human health and/or the

environment.

The list will be a useful tool in the devel-

opment of cleaner technology and the

substitution of environmental contami-

nants with less harmful substances. How-

ever, it will take time before the integrat-

ed product policy has an effect on waste.

It will therefore be necessary, parallel to

prevention efforts, to establish a modern

waste treatment system.

Waste policy challenges

in the future:

• improved quality of waste

treatment

- reduced environmental

impact

- improved resource utilisation

• stabilization of waste amounts

Waste in Denmark10

Waste is categorised in many different

ways. One way is to divide waste accord-

ing to the sector generating it. The most

important sectors, which are also the

basis for the description of the Danish

system, are:

• Building and construction sector

• Households

• Industry

• Institutions, trade and offices

• Power plants, wastewater treatment

plants and incineration plants

The different sectors generate specific types

of waste, and collection systems have been

adapted to sectors and their specific waste.

Waste – sectors andfractions

Bulding and construcion: 27%

Housholds: 22%

Industry: 21%

Institutions, trade, offices: 7%

Power plants: 13%

Wastewater treatment plants: 10%

Total waste: 12.9 million tonnes

Waste in Denmark – breakdown bysources (1997)

Waste can also be divided into types or

fractions. Examples of waste fractions are

paper, cardboard, glass, plastic packag-

ing, tyres and waste electrical and elec-

tronic equipment. The different waste

types are characterised by specific sub-

stance features or qualities which favour

separate treatment because of economic,

resource and environmental aspects.

Separate collectionOne of the main targets of Waste 21 is to

exploit resources in waste better and to

reduce environmental impacts. Several

waste types that used to be incinerated or

landfilled will therefore in future be col-

lected and treated separately.

Such waste types are especially those

containing substances that contaminate

the environment, for example end-of-life

vehicles, waste electrical and electronic

equipment, and foundry waste. In paral-

lel, new methods of treatment for these

types of waste must be developed so that

a larger part can be recycled.

Waste 21 also envisages enhanced initia-

tives for some types of waste that tradi-

tionally have been collected and treated

separately, for example paper, cardboard

and glass waste. Now, a special effort will

be made to increase recycling further.

Below an account is given of new initia-

tives sector by sector and examples are

presented of types of waste that will be in

focus in future. Packaging waste is

11

described in a section of its own, as this

waste type calls for special attention.

Waste in Denmark

Source separated waste fractions:

Batteries

End-of-life vehicles

Waste electrical and electronic

equipment

Impregnated wood

Organic waste

Paper and cardboard

PVC

Separate collectionand treatment ofwaste electronicequipment

12

Around one quarter of Danish waste

comes from building and construction

activities – corresponding to 3.4 million

tons in 1997.

Construction and demolition waste con-

sists mainly of concrete, asphalt, stone

and wood.Today, 8 per cent of construc-

tion and demolition waste is landfilled

and 1 per cent is incinerated.

Over the last 15 years, we have succeeded

in reaching a high recycling rate for

construction and demolition waste: 92

per cent. One instrument has been the

introduction of a state tax on waste that

is not recycled. Another has been an

agreement with the Danish Contractors'

Association on selective demolition of

building materials.

Waste from the building and construction sector

Waste in Denmark

3.4 million tonsof waste are gen-erated each year

in the buildingand construc-

tion sector

Waste in Denmark 13

Our aim is to maintain the high recycling

rate in coming years.

"Cradle-to-grave" assessments and envi-

ronmentally sound design will play a

greater role in future. Both approaches

take waste treatment into consideration

already in the design of buildings.

A special effort will be made for the

types of construction and demolition

waste that have the largest impact on the

environment: PVC and impregnated

wood. In future, separate treatment of

these waste types will be mandatory.

Special effort for pvc andwoodAround one third of Denmark's PVC

waste is generated in the building and

construction sector, and amounts are ris-

ing. Up to year 2004 concentrated efforts

will be made to solve environmental

problems related to PVC. Alternatives to

PVC-containing products and better

treatment of PVC waste will be developed.

Impregnated wood contains heavy

metals. Therefore, incineration of such

wood is problematic. The major part of

impregnated wood is landfilled today.

New and better treatment methods are

being developed, allowing the utilisation

of resources contained in impregnated

wood.Very soon, impregnated wood will

be collected and treated separately.

New initiatives to be taken up to

year 2004 for:

• Impregnated wood

• Environmentally sound design

• Residues and soil

• PVC

Target year 2004:

• 90 per cent recycling

• Sorting and separate collection of

environmentally harmful waste

types

• Enhanced use of environmentally

sound design

Waste in Denmark14

Around 7 per cent of all waste is pack-

aging waste. Packaging waste covers

many different waste fractions such as

glass, paper/cardboard and plastic, all

containing recyclable materials. Our

target is to recycle packaging waste as

far as possible, instead of incinerating it.

In contrast to many other countries,

in Denmark we have chosen not to

establish one separate management

system for packaging waste.

Our focus is on the best possible use

of recyclable materials in packaging

waste from different sectors. We

expect to recycle around 45 per cent

of all packaging waste in year 2001.

The major part of non-recycled pack-

aging waste is incinerated with energy

recovery. The targets for recycling of

packaging waste will be revised in year

2000.

Transport packagingTransport packaging from trade and

industry has our special attention.

Considering environmental economics

and working environment aspects,

retail packaging of paper, cardboard,

metal and plastic is thought to be less

suitable for recycling. One reason is

that such packaging is often com-

posed of different materials.

The recycling rate varies for different

types of transport packaging. The

highest rate is achieved for cardboard

and paper packaging – 66 per cent of

this waste is recycled. This has been

reached partly through a voluntary

agreement on recycling of transport

packaging made in 1994 between the

Danish Ministry of Environment and

Energy, the Confederation of Danish

Industries, the Danish Plastics Feder-

ation and the Packaging Industry.

Household packagingGlass packaging from households is

collected and recycled to a verry large

extent. But we can do better. In future,

glass collection from households will be

improved by informing citizens of pos-

sibilities to recycle other packaging

glass types than wine and spirits bottles.

Target year 2001:

• 55 per cent recycling of paper and

cardboard packaging

• 15 per cent recycling of plastic

packaging

• 25 per cent recycling of metal

packaging

• 65 per cent recycling of glass

packaging

New initiatives up to year 2004 for:

• Glass

• Cardboard packaging

• Plastic bottles and drums

Packaging waste

Waste in Denmark 15

Further, citizens will be able to deliver

cardboard packaging for recycling, for

example through bulky waste collec-

tion schemes. Another initiative for

household packaging focuses on plas-

tic bottles and drums. We will investi-

gate how best to collect such plastic

packaging from households.

The Danish bottledeposit and returnsystem prevents largeamounts of waste

Waste in Denmark16

Waste from households

Some types of household waste – glass

and paper – are covered by collection

schemes with source separation and recy-

cling.Total recycling of household waste

is around 28 per cent. Especially garden

waste is recycled. Further, our bottle re-

turn system ensures a high packaging

reuse rate.

Domestic wasteDomestic waste is recycled at a rate of

15 per cent, and the target in year 2004

is 30 per cent. This target will be met by

focusing on increased separation and

collection of glass, paper, cardboard

packaging, plastic and organic domestic

waste.

Information to citizens plays a key role in

our waste policy. For hazardous waste

containing chemical substances – for

example batteries and medicine residues –

citizens will be better informed on waste

management schemes. Likewise, an in-

formation campaign on durable prod-

ucts will encourage consumption to be

more environment-friendly in the long

term.

Compost and biogasAll garden waste and 40 to 45 per cent of

domestic waste is organic material. Gar-

den waste is composted with a recycling

rate of almost 100 per cent. By contrast,

organic domestic waste can be exploited

better than today, where most of it is in-

cinerated.Today, only 4 per cent of do-

mestic waste is used in biogas plants.

In Denmark, we generate a total of

around 2.8 million tons of household

waste per year.This corresponds to a

good 20 per cent of total waste genera-

tion. Domestic waste accounts for some

60 per cent of all household waste.

Household waste covers domestic waste,

bulky waste and garden waste. Some

household waste is hazardous.

17

We plan to carry out biogas plant tests in

a number of municipalities. The target in

year 2004 is to recycle organic waste cor-

responding to 7 per cent of total domes-

tic waste. In a longer term perspective,

the target is to recycle an amount corre-

sponding to 20 to 25 per cent of total

domestic waste.

Bulky wasteIn recent years, recycling centres have

been established in many municipalities.

Here, householders can deliver their

bulky waste for recycling. However,

bulky waste from households must be

exploited better than today, for example,

by increased separation of a number of

waste types, such as waste electrical and

electronic equipment, impregnated wood,

and PVC.

Waste in Denmark

Targets for domestic waste year 2004:


• 70 per cent incineration

Long term target: 40 to 50 per cent

recycling of domestic waste


• Batteries

• Waste electrical and electronic

equipment

• Hazardous waste

• Glass

• Impregnated wood and PVC

• Organic domestic waste

• Cardboard

• Paper

• Plastic packaging

18 Waste in Denmark

Waste from industry makes up one fifth

of total waste generation in Denmark.

Prevention has top priority. In recent

years, environmental management, green

accounting and economic instruments

such as taxes to regulate waste generation

in enterprises have gained wider use.

In Denmark, local councils are responsible

for setting up industrial waste schemes.

Often, collection is contracted to private

companies.

Today, we recycle just below 60 per cent

of waste from industry, so the target for

the year 2000 has already been met. But

we can do better, and we have set up a

new target of 65 per cent recycling in

2004.

Around one quarter of waste from man-

ufacturing industry – 26 per cent – is

landfilled. This is too much. Therefore,

in the coming years, we will make

concentrated efforts to reduce amounts

of waste for landfilling. The target is

that only half as much waste as today

– 15 per cent – shall be landfilled in

2004.

New techniquesKnowledge of the composition of waste

and improved waste treatment are of ma-

jor importance – it saves money and re-

sources. Enterprises must therefore pay

more attention to waste generation from

their operations.

Waste from industry

The Danish Environmental Protection

Agency has selected some waste types to

be in focus in coming years – partly

through separate schemes for different

waste types and partly by the introduc-

tion of new techniques.

Thanks to new treatment techniques,

some types of waste can be shifted from

landfilling to recycling. One such waste

type is shredder waste, residues left over

when for example cars and white goods

are scrapped. Shredder waste has a high

content of environmental contaminants,

e.g. heavy metals and PCB. Today, 98 per

cent of all shredder waste is landfilled,

but through new treatment techniques

recycling will reach a rate of 75 per cent.

Target year 2004:



• 15 per cent landfilling

• Improved hazardous waste collection


• End-of-life vehicles


equipment

• Hazardous waste

• Paper and cardboard

• PCB/PCT

• Plastic transport packaging

• Shredder waste

• Waste oil

• Foundry waste

19

Industrial waste includes waste elec-tronic equipmentwhich contains environmental contaminants

Waste in Denmark

vate institutions play an important role

in this effort.

Today, some 38 per cent of this waste

is recycled. The aim is to reach a recy-

cling rate of 50 per cent in 2004.

More separationIn future, we will require more separa-

tion of some types of waste, and more

environmentally acceptable handling

of this waste.Waste types in focus in-

clude end-of-life vehicles and waste

electrical and electronic equipment.

These stricter requirements will ensure

better recycling of different materials,

Around 7 per cent of waste in Denmark

is generated in institutions, trade and of-

fices – corresponding to some 850,000

tons per year.This waste includes organic

waste (food waste from catering centres),

waste electrical and electronic equipment,

tyres, paper, cardboard, glass and plastic.

The recycling rate for this waste is not

satisfactory.We must therefore make

larger efforts in source separation, both to

increase the rate of recycling and to ensure

that environmentally harmful waste types

are sorted and extracted. Also, the collec-

tion of recyclable materials must be im-

proved. Enterprises and public and pri-

Waste in Denmark20

Offices gener-ate large

amounts ofpaper wastewhich can

become newpaper products

Waste from institutions,trade and offices

21

for example metal and glass, preventing

the delivery of such waste to incineration

plants and landfills.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment

is one of the waste types in focus. Trade

and offices deliver around one fifth of the

amounts discarded in Denmark. This

waste contains many environmental con-

taminants that today end up in residues

from waste treatment and in landfills.

Efforts will also be made to improve the

collection of paper and cardboard from

offices and institutions. Public and private

institutions and enterprises have today an

obligation to separate these types of waste

for recycling. In future, municipal coun-

cils' responsibility for collection schemes

for paper and cardboard will be extended.

Waste in Denmark

Target year 2004:



• 5 per cent landfilling

New initiatives to year 2004 for:

• Batteries

• End-of-life vehicles

• Tyres


equipment

• Organic waste

• Paper and cardboard

• Plastic

• Waste oil

The trade sector generates large amountsof cardboard waste, which can be recycled

Waste in Denmark22

According to the Government Energy Ac-

tion Plan, coal will at longer sight be su-

perseded by renewable energy and natural

gas, including biofuel. Methods will there-

fore be developed to recycle bioash in an

environment-friendly way.The target is to

reach a high recycling rate, including the

use of the ash as a fertiliser.

One quarter – around 24 per cent – of

Danish waste comes from wastewater

treatment and energy generation. A total

of around 3.0 million tons of waste is

generated by this sector.

From coal to biofuelToday's residues from power plants consist

mainly of slag, fly ash and gypsum from

coal-based energy generation. Around 73

per cent of residues are recycled – and this

rate will be maintained.Sludge from

treatment plantscan be used as

fertilizer in agriculture

Waste from power, treatmentand incineration plants

Waste in Denmark 23

Sludge from wastewatertreatment plantsWastewater treatment generates sludge

with a large content of both fertilisers

and energy. The major proportion of

sludge is used as fertiliser in agriculture.

The recycling rate for wastewater sludge

is 72 per cent, 20 per cent is incinerated,

and 8 per cent landfilled (1997 figures).

In future, more stringent requirements

will be introduced for sludge applied to

farmland, and as a consequence the recy-

cling rate is expected to drop at short

sight. In return, the long term target is to

improve the quality of sludge by develop-

ing methods for decomposition of xeno-

biotic substances.

Waste from incinerationThe incineration of waste generates

residues: slag and flue gas treatment

waste. In 1997 550,000 tons of residues

were produced. The quality of these

residues will improve as more environ-

mentally harmful types of waste, such as

PVC and impregnated wood, are treated

separately.

In 1997, 82 per cent of slag was recycled

in building and construction works. In

future, greater attention will be paid to

environmental aspects related to slag re-

cycling.

Flue gas treatment waste is classified as

hazardous waste, because it contains

large amounts of heavy metals and other

environmental contaminants. By leach-

ing, these substances are a threat to our

groundwater. Better methods will be de-

veloped for the stabilisation of this waste,

and permanent landfills for stabilised flue

gas treatment waste will be provided.

Target year 2004:

• 90 per cent recycling of residues

from coal-fired power plants

• 50 per cent recycling of wastewater

sludge on farmland

• 70 per cent recycling of residues

from waste incineration plants

Published by:Ministry of Environment and Energy


Editors:Helle Husum, Lotte Wammen Rahbek,

Lone Lykke Nielsen and Tina

Wissendorff Seheim

Text: Anne Tortzen

Translation: Karen B. Kristensen

Photos:Steen Månson (front page photo)

Bent Lauge Madsen, Steen Månson,

Imagebank

Design: BYSTED A/S

Print:Repro & Tryk A/S

Impression:2,000, 1st issue

Year of publication:1999

This publication bears the Nordic

Swan Ecolabel

Available from: Miljøbutikken – Information and Books

Læderstræde 1

DK-1201 Copenhagen K

Phone: (+45) 33 92 76 92

Fax: (+45) 33 92 76 90

E-mail: [email protected]

Internet: www.mem.dk/ukindex.htm

For Further information, contact:Danish Environmental Protection Agency

Strandgade 29

DK-1401 Copenhagen K

Phone: (+45) 32 66 01 00

Fax: (+45) 32 66 04 79

E-mail: [email protected]

Internet: www.mst.dk/homepage/

No part of this publication may be

reproduced without prior permission from

the publisher.

Quotations are authorized provided the

source is acknowledged.

Waste in Denmark

Waste in Denmark24


Strandgade 29 · DK-1401 Copenhagen K · Phone (+45) 32 66 01 00 · www.mst.dk/homepage/

Denmark

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