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Waste Statistics 1998

3. Recycling

3.1 Recycling distributed on fractions

Table 3 shows waste fractions that are recycled, either by reprocessing, composting or biogasification. The table is not an outline of output from these fractions.

Sources: ISAG-reports for 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998, (1) Association of Danish Recycling Industries and other large scrap dealers, (2) Elsam and Elkraft, (3) Reports to the Danish Environmental Protection Agency on sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants applied to farmland etc. (for 1998, figures from 1997 have been used. Sludge in long-term storage has been included in amounts of sludge applied to farmland etc.), (4) Correction for ferrous metals removed from waste incineration plants has been made to avoid double counting. Some of the collective terms such as "Other recyclables", "Other construction and demolition waste" and "Soil and stone" may contribute – after separation has been completed – to additional quantities of items such as tiles, wood etc.

The most significant amounts are found for waste fractions relating to industry (ferrous metals), building and construction activities (for example concrete and asphalt), coal-fired power plants (fly ash, gypsum and slag) and wastewater treatment plants (sludge).

Waste fractions such as paper and cardboard, branches, leaves, grass etc. and glass also account for large amounts. A large proportion of this waste is generated in households.

In absolute figures, recycling of paper and cardboard, bottles and glass as well as plastic increased from 1997 to 1998, whereas recycling of, for example, ferrous metals and waste from the building and construction sector decreased.

Also recycling of fly ash and slag from coal-fired power plants decreased in absolute figures from 1997 to 1998. This is due to lower generation of such residues, as the rate of recycling actually increased by 14 percentage points. 

Consumption of virgin paper, paper collected for recycling, and exports of waste paper are shown in Table 4.

Sources: (1) Material stream analysis of waste paper from the Danish Waste Management Information Centre and Statistics Denmark. (2) ISAG reports for 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998. (3) Statistics Denmark. The discrepancy between waste paper collected, and Danish waste paper sent to Danish paper mills + net exports, may be due to stock enlargement, and it may be a consequence of applying different statistical sources and statement methods.

From 1997 to 1998, a decrease in the consumption of virgin paper took place. At the same time, there has been an increase in waste paper collected, which means that the collection rate for waste paper reached 48 per cent in 1998.

Consumption of virgin paper per capita decreased slightly in 1998 compared to 1997: 250 kg in 1998 against 259 kg in 1997. Furthermore, 120 kg/capita paper and cardboard were collected in 1998 against 112 kg in 1997.

In 1998, net exports of waste paper amounted to 242,000 tonnes, which covers imports of waste paper of some 98,000 tonnes and exports of just above 339,000 tonnes.

Sources of waste paper collected are stated in Table 5. Collection of waste paper increased from 583,000 tonnes in 1997 to 623,000 tonnes in 1998, corresponding to an increase of just above 7 per cent.

This increase may be attributed to an increase in amounts collected from households and institutions, trade and offices, whereas amounts collected from manufacturing industries decreased.

Amounts collected from households and institutions, trade and offices increased by 14 per cent for both sources, whereas amounts collected from manufacturing industries decreased by 5 per cent.

Source: ISAG reports for 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998.

3.3 Glass

According to ISAG reports, recycling of bottles and glass from primary sources amounted to 104,000 tonnes in 1998. This is an increase of 15,000 tonnes compared to 1997. By only including waste from primary sources, however, a complete picture of total material streams is not obtained. Of special importance is recycling of glass during which several collection and treatment steps have been passed.

As a consequence, the following description of total recycling of glass is based on the material stream analysis for glass in 1997 made by the Danish Waste Management Information Centre.

Apart from a minor decrease in 1996, consumption of glass packaging has been increasing throughout the 1990s. In 1997, 190,000 tonnes of glass packaging were used, which is 6.5 per cent more than in 1996. Also collection and recycling of glass packaging have been increasing throughout the 1990s.

However, amounts of collected glass decreased from 126,100 tonnes in 1996 to 115,200 tonnes in 1997. This means that the rate of collection in relation to total consumption decreased from 71 per cent in 1996 to 61 per cent in 1997. The reason for this decrease is not evident.

Correspondingly, there has been a minor decrease in amounts of recycled glass packaging. The rate of recycling in relation to total consumption reached 57 per cent in 1997 against 61 per cent in 1996.

Bottles for beer and soft drinks manufactured for reuse are not included in this statement. Refillable glass bottles, on average, make 35 trips. If these bottles were manufactured as single-use bottles, it would give an increase in waste glass of around 350,000 tonnes.

Figure 6 Look here!

Table 6 shows amounts of collected ferrous scrap, distributed on consignees. It is seen that in 1998, 971,000 tonnes of ferrous scrap were recycled, and this is 41,000 tonnes less than in 1997. Total potential of ferrous scrap is not known precisely. Recycling industries normally estimate a recycling rate in excess of 90 per cent for ferrous scrap.

According to ISAG reports, the Danish Steel Works and other Danish foundries imported 216,000 tonnes of ferrous scrap in 1998, whereas scrap dealers imported 26,000 tonnes. Total imports in 1998 thereby amounted to 242,000 tonnes of ferrous scrap, which is 46,000 tonnes less than in 1997.

Sources: (1) ISAG reports 1996, 1997 and 1998, (2) information from the Association of Danish Recycling industries and other large scrap dealers. The statement used in table 6 is slightly different from the statement in table 3. For example, the correction for ferrous scrap removed from waste incineration plants ( 1996: 15,100, 1997: 19,774 and 1998: 12,226) has not been made, as this table shows the total balance for ferrous metals.

3.5 Organic waste for composting, wood chipping and biogasification

Organic waste amounts delivered to composting, wood chipping and biogasification are shown in Table 7.

There has been an increase of almost 10 per cent in amounts of organic waste for composting, wood chipping or biogasification from 1997 to 1998. This increase is mainly due to an increase in amounts of garden waste (branches, leaves, grass etc.) for composting, and sewage sludge for composting or biogasification.

Likewise, organic domestic waste for biogasification increased in 1998, and amounts are now at the 1996-level. By contrast, amounts of organic domestic waste for composting decreased slightly. This may be due to the fact that more and more local councils launch home composting schemes, and thereby amounts are not registered in the ISAG.

Amounts of other organic waste for biogasification were around 30 per cent lower in 1998 than in 1997, whereas amounts of other organic waste for composting remained stable.

Quantities of bark/wood chips and compost removed from the plants do not reflect the quantities generated. This quantity should be considered as reflecting the quantity sold or delivered free. The table shows that quantities of both compost and bark/wood chips removed from the plants were considerably smaller in 1998 than in 1997.

Source: ISAG reports do not include information on the quantity of biogas generated. The table is designed on the basis of calculations and estimates based on ISAG reports for 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998.

In 1995, the Minister for Environment and Energy entered an agreement with a number of organisations, on a take-back scheme for used tyres from cars, vans, and motorcycles.

The purpose of the agreement is to ensure collection and recovery of used tyres in Denmark. Landfilling is avoided and resource recovery ensured, whereby material recovery is prioritised to energy recovery.

The scheme started 1st April 1995 and is financed by a fee on tyres comprised by the agreement and marketed in Denmark. The fee amounts to DKK 8 per new or old tyre, and DKK 4 per retreaded tyre.

According to the agreement, the target was a take-back rate of 60 per cent in 1995, whereas the target for 1996 onwards is 80 per cent.

The table shows that the rate of collection amounted to 87.3 per cent in 1998, which is 6.5 percentage points less than in 1997. However, also in 1998 the target for collection has been met by a good margin.

Source: Statement from Danish Environmental Protection Agency for the period 1.7.95 - 31.12.95 and reports from the Danish Tyre Trade Environmental Foundation for 1996, 1997 and 1998. 2^nd half 1995 includes 1,000 tonnes collected in the first half of 1995, thereby increasing the collection rate.

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