Source: ISAG-reports for 1994, 1995 and 1996, Danisco, Associations of Danish Recycling Industries and other bigger scrap dealers, Elsam, Elkraft and reports to the Environmental Protection Agency on sludge for recovery on farmland and incineration in sludge incineration plants (for 1996 are used 1995-figures). The sludge figures are stated in wet weight. Compared to Waste Statistics 1995 the figures for sludge are based on a lower percentage of dry weight, giving higher wet weight, confer chapter 6. The figures were adjusted for import of waste. The production of waste in relation to the ISAG reports has been found by stating the quantity of waste accepted by various waste treatment plants from various primary sources. For this purpose "primary sources" means producers of waste which are not waste treatment plants (processing facilities, incineration plants, composting & biogas plants, and landfills). Waste such as slags, ashes, and flue-gas cleaning products from waste incineration plants is therefore not included in the statement because, if so, the waste would be recorded twice. Further waste from the source "containers/transfer stations" is distributed on the original source. The principles for the distribution are shown in annex 2.

As can be seen from Table 1 and Fig. 1 the following changes occurred from 1995 to 1996:

The large increase in waste production from 1995 to 1996 is mainly due to two sectors: coal-fired power stations and the building and construction industry which together accounted for 80% of the increase. If the increased amount of garden waste from households is taken into consideration, these three sectors account for more than 85% of the increase.

Other sectors like waste from manufacturing, institutions, trade and offices as well as domestic waste and bulky waste from households show moderate increases between 1% and 3%.

When considering the total waste production for 1996, i.e. 12,912,000 tonnes, it is well to bear in mind that, according to the current Action Plan for Waste and Recycling 1993-97 it is expected that the quantity will increase to 9.8m tonnes by 1997, after which it will remain unchanged until the year 2000. Thus, the quantity of waste produced in 1996 was already 3m tonnes greater than the quantity forecast for the year 2000.

The figures for 1985 and 2000 in the Action Plan for Waste and Recycling 1993-97 are based on a survey of waste production in 1985 carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency and the counties. This was the first survey of waste quantities. Concerning domestic waste, the 1985 data are for the major part based on weighed or measured quantities at the treatment plants. For other waste flows the 1985 figures are mainly based on estimates and theoretic calculations of the quantities.

On the other hand, the ISAG figures for 1994, 1995 and 1996 are based on weighed quantities. The trend in waste production from 1994 to 1996 must be considered reliable. Compared to the figures for 1994, 1995 and 1996, there is much more uncertainty for the figures for 1985 and thus also for the forecast figures for the year 2000.

Compared to the forecast of the current Action Plan, the overall recycling target (54%) for the year 2000 has been satisfied, and the maximum quantities for incineration (25%) and landfilling (21%) have been attained, cf. Table 2 and Fig. 2.

Source: ISAG-reports 1994, 1995 and 1996, The Government’s Action Plan for Waste and Recycling 1993-97, Danisco, Association of Danish Recycling industries and other bigger scrap dealers, Elsam, Elkraft and reports to the Environmental Protection Agency about sludge for recovery on farmland and incineration in sludge incineration plants (for 1996 are used 1995-figures).

Table 2 shows that in 1996 2,337,000 tonnes of waste (excluding imports) were incinerated at Danish waste incineration plants. This is an increase compared to 1995 of around 200,000 tonnes. Major explanations

Source: The Government’s Action Plan for Waste and Recycling 1993-97. ISAG-reports for 1994, 1995 and 1996, Danisco, Association of Danish Recycling Industries and other bigger scrap dealers, Elsam, Elkraft and reports to the Environmental Protection Agency on sludge for recovery on farmland (for 1996 are used 1995-figures) and incineration in sludge incineration plants (for 1996 are used 1995-figures). Where fig. 2 and the other figures refer to the mode of treatment "Special treatment" it is to indicate that the waste received is treated by means of a special mode of treatment. It includes the treatment of special hospital waste as well as oil & chemical waste and other types of hazardous waste. Special treatment may include, e.g., incineration with energy recovery, or treatment by way of preparation for incineration or landfilling.

of the increased amount of waste for incineration are the ban on landfilling of waste suitable for incineration that entered into force as per 1st January 1997 as well as the increase as per 1st January 1997 of the tax on waste for landfilling, that was announced allready in 1993. In addition to this, a new large waste incineration plant was put in operation in the beginning of 1996 in the city of Odense. This means that waste from this area that was earlier landfilled, is now incinerated with energy recovery.

The above figure shows that compared to 1995 the total rate of recycling decreased in 1996 by 2 percentage points and landfilling increased by 3 percentage points. The reason is that it has not been possible to recycle the increased amount of residual products from coal-fired power stations which has been landfilled. This has caused an important increase of the total landfilling.

In order to assess the general trend in the treatment of waste if the high amount of residual products from coal-fired power stations is ignored, Fig. 3 shows the mode of treatment applied to ordinary waste in 1985, 1994, 1995 and 1996 together with the target for 2000.

The statement shall also be seen keeping in mind that in 1996 large quantities of residual products from coal-fired power stations were recycled (1,629,000 tonnes). The recycling of these important quantities of residues may in principle mean that the total target for recycling in the Government’s Action Plan for Waste and Recycling is satisfied.

Source: The Government’s Action Plan for Waste and Recycling 1993-97, ISAG-reports for 1994, 1995 and 1996, Danisco, Association of Danish Recycling Industries and other bigger scrap dealers, Elsam, Elkraft and reports to the Environmental Protection Agency on sludge for recovery on farmland (for 1996 are used 1995-figures) and incineration in sludge incineration plants (for 1996 are used 1995-figures).

It can be seen that even if the important recycling of residual products from coal-fired power stations is excluded, the total recycling for 1996 of 58% exceeded the target of 54% for the year 2000. The target for maximum landfilling of 16% for the year 2000 was also well on the way to being attained. For ordinary waste, landfilling declined from 1995 to 1996 by 2 percentage points.

In absolute quantities, the decrease in the amount of ordinary waste for landfilling is considerably lower, viz. from 1,834,000 tonnes in 1995 to 1,821,000 tonnes in 1996. These figures include beet soil from the sugar industry which, similar to residual products from coal-fired power stations, is exempt from waste taxes.

If only the waste for which waste taxes have been levied is considered, there is a drop in the amount of landfilled waste from 1,619,000 tonnes in 1995 to 1,506,000 tonnes in 1996.

The general statistics of waste treatment shown in Fig. 2 and 3 conceal major differences.

Fig. 4 therefore shows the total waste production in Denmark for 1996, according to source and mode of treatment. Fig. 5 shows waste production according to type of waste and mode of treatment. Figs. 4 and 5 are shown as tables in Annex 1.

Source: ISAG-report 1996, Danisco, Association of Danish Recycling Industries and other bigger scrap dealers, Elsam, Elkraft and reports to the Environmental Protection Agency on sludge for recovery on farmland (for 1996 are used 1995-figures) and incineration in sludge incineration plants (for 1996 are used 1995-figures).

When compared with the data of Fig. 1, i.e. waste production by source, it can be seen from Fig. 4 that the extensive recycling of building and construction waste, residual products from coal-fired power stations and sludge from waste water treatment plants has a significant impact in relation to total recycling.

Correspondingly, Fig. 5 shows that modes of treatment vary widely within the individual types of waste. There is much recycling of garden waste (94%), commercial and industrial waste (74%) and residual products (69%).

Source: ISAG-report 1996, Danisco, Association of Danish Recycling Industries and other bigger scrap dealers, Elsam, Elkraft and reports to the Environmental Protection Agency on sludge for recovery on farmland (for 1996 are used 1995-figures) and incineration in sludge incineration plants (for 1996 are used 1995-figures).