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Waste Statistics 2000

6. Waste sources and status compared to targets for 2004

6.1 Residues from waste incineration plants

Figure 7 shows amounts of residues (slag, fly ash, and flue gas cleaning products) from waste incineration in 1994 to 2000, stated in tonnes, as well as treatment option.

Residues from waste incineration plants have not been included in statements of total waste generation presented so far, as waste would otherwise be counted twice. However, residues constitute a significant waste fraction, and it is necessary to register amounts to ensure sufficient capacity for the management of residues.

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Figure 7
Treatment of residues from waste incineration 1994-2000 and target year 2004

By far the largest proportion of residues is recycled – in 2000 the rate of recycling reached 80 per cent, which is 3 percentage points more than in 1999. However, residues cannot be recycled if there is a high risk of leaching of heavy metals – in that case they will be led to landfill.

According to Waste 21, environmental contaminants such as PVC, impregnated wood and waste electrical and electronic equipment may no longer be assigned to incineration. This means that heavy metal contents in slag will drop significantly.

However, at the same time requirements for recycling will become more stringent in consideration of groundwater, and therefore targets from the previous plan of action are maintained in Waste 21, which means a target recycling rate of 70 per cent.

Table 14 presents the use of residues from waste incineration. Amounts of residues from waste incineration naturally depend on amounts of waste incinerated. Slag and flue gas cleaning products account for around 20 per cent and 3 per cent respectively of waste feed.

Table 14
Slag, fly ash and flue gas cleaning products removed from waste incineration plants in 1996 - 2000.

Source: Calculations based on ISAG reports and registrations according to the EU regulation on shipments of waste. Remark that Table 14 and Figure 7 cannot be compared directly, as exports are not included in Figure 7.

The table shows that residues from waste incineration in 2000 amounted to around 562,000 tonnes, which is 30,000 tonnes less than in 1999. Of the amount removed of 562,000 tonnes, 195,000 tonnes were landfilled and 388,000 tonnes were recycled. This means that amounts of fly ash and flue gas cleaning products in storage have been reduced by around 21,000 tonnes.

6.2 Waste from building and construction activities

Waste from the building and construction sector amounted in 2000 to 3,223,000 tonnes, which is an increase of 255,000 tonnes or 9 per cent.

By far the largest proportion of construction and demolition waste is recycled. The distribution of waste on the different treatment options in 2000 is unchanged from 1999; 90 per cent was recycled, whereas 2 per cent was incinerated and 8 per cent landfilled, cf. Figure 9.

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Figure 9
Treatment of waste from building and construction activities 1994-2000 and target year 2004

The figure shows that recycling of construction and demolition waste increased by 6 percentage points in the period 1994 to 2000. Correspondingly, the rate of construction and demolition waste led to landfill decreased by 7 percentage points.

The figure also shows that the distribution among the different treatment options since 1997 has been in total compliance with the 2004 targets for treatment.

The high rate of recycling for construction and demolition waste is partly due to the fact that recycled waste is exempt from the waste tax, contrary to waste landfilled or incinerated. Furthermore, a circular¹⁴ on municipal regulations regarding separation of construction and demolition waste with a view to recycling came into effect in 1995. And finally, the Ministry of Environment and Energy has entered an agreement with the Danish Contractors' Association on selective demolition of building materials.

There is, however, still scope for improving waste management. In future, special efforts shall be made to separate and treat the types of construction and demolition waste that are most harmful to the environment, such as PVC and impregnated wood.

Finally, "cradle-to-grave" assessments and environmentally correct design shall be used more extensively in connection with new building projects.

Figure 10 shows the distribution of construction and demolition waste among mixed and separated fractions in 2000. It is seen that the major part of separated waste consists of concrete, asphalt, soil and stone.

Figure 10
Waste from building and construction in 2000, by mixed and separated fractions.

Source: ISAG reports 2000. Legend: clock-wise from top.

The increase in C&D waste amounts is especially attributable to the separated fractions of tile and concrete as well as the mixed fraction "various non-combustibleable" that increased from 1999 by 94 per cent, 39 per cent and 50 per cent respectively.

Around half the increase in these fractions is explained by a decrease in the mixed fraction "other C&D waste". Conclusively, waste separation has improved.

A large proportion of construction and demolition waste is reprocessed in mobile crushing plants moved around the country for various assignments.

The owner of the mobile crushing plant is responsible for reporting to the ISAG, but in some cases also his client does so. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency is aware of this possible source of double counting, and great efforts are made in co-operation with enterprises reporting to subject data to quality assurance in order to avoid double counting.

6.3 Waste from households

Waste from households covers primarily the waste types domestic waste, bulky waste, and garden waste, which again can be divided into waste fractions such as paper and cardboard, bottles and glass, and food waste/other organic waste. See also Table 15 where fractions are stated – mixed and separated - in so far as it has been possible to register them separately.

Amounts of, for example, paper and cardboard do not reflect the potential in household waste, but alone the amount separated for recycling. Other paper is covered by the fraction "various combustibleable".

Total waste generation in households in 2000 amounted to 3,084,000 tonnes, which is 121,000 tonnes or 4 per cent more than in 1999. Domestic waste amounts remained practically unchanged from 1999 – there has been a minor increase of 11,000 tonnes. The increase in total amounts of household waste is therefore especially attributable to bulky waste and garden waste amounts that increased by 9 per cent and 12 per cent respectively.

However, domestic waste still accounts for the major proportion of household waste: around 54 per cent.

Table 15
Waste generation in households. By fraction and stated in tonnes

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It is seen from the table that the increase in amounts of household waste is especially attributable to increases in the amounts of hazardous waste and garden waste. There were also minor increases in amounts of separated paper and cardboard and in the mixed fractions "various combustible" and "various non- combustible", whereas the amounts of separated fractions such as food waste/other organic waste and bottles and glass decreased by 11 per cent and 6 per cent respectively.

6.3.1 Household waste per capita and per household

Table 16 states the generation of household waste per capita and per household. The table covers both selected waste types and separated waste fractions.

Householders’ total waste generation stated per capita in 2000 amounted to 578 kg, which is 20 kg more than in 1999. Stated per household householders’ waste generation amounted to 1,294 kg in 2000, which is 44 kg more than in 1999.

Table 16
Householders' waste generation in 1998, 1999 and 2000 per capita and per household

Source: ISAG reports. Population figures and number of households from Statistics Denmark have been used. Remark that Tables 15 and 16 cannot be compared directly, as Table 15 concerns waste generation stated by fractions, whereas Table 16 also includes waste type.

Of this, domestic waste per capita and per household in 2000 amounted to 314 kg and 703 kg respectively, which is almost identical to amounts in 1999.

The table also shows that amounts of separately collected fractions per capita and per household were almost identical in 1999 and 2000.

6.3.2 Domestic waste

Domestic waste from households covers waste that results from normal consumption in private households, i.e. paper, bottles and glass, organic food waste, and residual waste, collected at the household at regular intervals, normally weekly or every second week.

As mentioned above, domestic waste in 2000 amounted to 1,676,000 tonnes, which is 11,000 tonnes more than in 1999. Since 1994 amounts of domestic waste have varied from one year to the next without showing any clear trend – in the entire period the amounts have remained more or less stable, cf. Table 1.

In 2000, 14 per cent of domestic waste was recycled. 81 per cent was incinerated, and 5 per cent was landfilled.

As Figure 11 shows the distribution of domestic waste on the different treatment options has remained more or less stable in the period 1994 to 2000. Over the entire period the trend has been since 1996 to incinerate around 80 per cent of domestic waste and to recycle and landfill around 15 per cent and 5 per cent respectively.

This means that too much domestic waste goes to incineration and landfill compared to the targets in Waste 21.

It should be noted that organic domestic waste must be assigned to incineration. However, for islands that do not have land connection to the mainland there is an exemption from this duty of assignment.

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Figure 11
Treatment of domestic waste from households 1994-2000 and target year 2004

To meet the target for recycling in year 2004 of 30 per cent a number of initiatives will be launched in the coming years. For example, separation and collection for recycling of glass, paper, and cardboard and plastic packaging will be extended.

Furthermore, initiatives will be launched with a view to recycling a larger proportion of organic domestic waste. Today, only around ½ per cent is recovered in biogas plants, cf. Table 8. The target is a recycling rate of 7 per cent of organic domestic waste in year 2004.

6.3.3 Bulky waste

In 2000 Danish households generated 730,000 tonnes of bulky waste. This is 58,000 tonnes more than in 1999, corresponding to an increase of 9 per cent.

In the period 1994 – 2000 bulky waste amounts have increased by 21 per cent overall, with a minor decrease in amounts in 1997 and 1998, cf. Table 1. This is due to a real increase in bulky waste amounts, but for a major part also to the introduction of collection schemes and bring schemes for bulky waste.

Figure 12 shows that the distribution among treatment options in the period 1994 – 1998 has remained relatively stable. In 1999 and 2000 the rate of bulky waste incinerated increased to 48 per cent, whereas the rate for landfilling decreased to 36 per cent. This means that the rate for recycling only reached 16 per cent i 2000.

Thereby, the target of a rate of landfilling of a maximum of 37.5 per cent has been met. By contrast, still too much bulky waste is led to incineration and too little is recycled.

To comply with treatment targets in year 2004, many efforts are called for in relation to separate collection of more bulky waste fractions. A number of initiatives for, for example, cardboard, electrical and electronic products, impregnated wood, and PVC-containing waste have already been launched or are in the planning phase.

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Figure 12
Treatment of bulky waste from households 1994-2000 and target year 2004

6.3.4 Garden waste

Garden waste collected from households in 2000 amounted to 519,000 tonnes, which is 55,000 tonnes more than in 1999. Garden waste amounts have been on a steady increase throughout the 1990s. Since 1994 the increase in garden waste amounts has been 81 per cent.

This increase not only reflects a real increase in garden waste amounts. It is rather the result of increasing opportunities for householders to dispose of garden waste at municipal treatment plants at the expense of home-composting of waste. This leads to larger amounts of waste treated in the municipal system.

Garden waste treatment is presented in Figure 13. 97 per cent of garden waste was recycled in 2000, whereas 1 per cent was incinerated and 1 per cent led to landfill.

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Figure 13
Treatment of garden waste from households 1994-2000 and target year 2004

Thereby, targets for recycling and incineration of garden waste from households have been met with a good margin. It is estimated to be impossible to increase recycling further. Therefore, future efforts with respect to garden waste will concentrate on maintaining the present high recycling rate and to reduce amounts treated in the municipal waste management system.

6.4 Waste from manufacturing industries

Waste generation in industry in 2000 amounted to 2,948,000 tonnes, which is 295,000 tonnes or 11 per cent more than in 1999. A distribution of waste from industry on mixed and separated fractions is shown in Figure 14. It is seen that ferrous metals by far is the largest single fraction followed by the mixed fraction various combustible, separated paper and cardboard, various non- combustible and beet soil.

The relative distribution of total industrial waste on the different fractions remained almost unchanged in 2000 compared to 1999. However, as mentioned above there has been an increase in amounts of industrial waste of around 295,000 tonnes. This increase is particularly attributable to the separated fractions paper and cardboard, food waste/other organic, ferrous metals and the mixed fraction various non- combustible that increased by 53 per cent, 25 per cent, 21 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. However, it is important to note that around 100,000 tonnes of the increase is explained by a correction in the registration of the amounts of paper and cardboard collected for recycling, cf. Table 6.

By contrast there has been a decrease in the fractions various combustible, hazardous waste and beet soil: 14 per cent, 13 per cent and 2 per cent respectively. This indicates that in 2000 there was a better separation of recyclable waste such as paper and cardboard and food waste/other organic from the mixed fraction various combustible.

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Figure 14
Waste from manufacturing industries etc. 2000, by mixed and separated fractions

The treatment of waste from industry is shown in Figure 15. 64 per cent of the waste was recycled in 2000. This is 6 percentage points more than in 1999. In absolute figures it corresponds to an increase of 346,000 tonnes. A large part of this increase is attributable to larger amounts of separated waste for recycling, such as paper and cardboard and ferrous metals.

The rate of industrial waste incinerated in 2000 reached 15 per cent, which is 4 percentage points less than in 1999. The rate led to landfill remained almost unchanged from 1999: 21 per cent.

This means that the target of landfilling a maximum of 15 per cent of industrial waste has not been met. Still far too much of waste from industry is landfilled. Even if the rates of recycling and landfilling have taken a positive direction since 1994, there is still some way to go before the targets for these two treatment options have been met.

Amounts and composition of waste from manufacturing industries depend on the sector generating the waste, as well as size and number of enterprises. Possibilities of preventing or recycling waste will therefore differ from one waste fraction and sector to another.

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency has through the latest amendment to the Statutory Order on Waste implemented a number of changes to the ISAG system so that from year 2001 it will be possible to state waste from industry on eleven different sectors. In future, a number of enterprises¹⁵ must furthermore in addition keep a register in a specific format with various information on their waste generation. This will enhance the possibility of conducting sector-specific analyses and initiatives in industry.

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Figure 15
Treatment of waste from manufacturing industries 1994-2000 and target year 2004

In order to meet targets in Waste 21, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency has selected a number of waste types from industry to come into focus. One such waste type is shredder waste. New treatment technologies shall contribute to diverting shredder waste from landfilling to recycling. Another waste type in focus is hazardous waste, for which collection schemes shall be established with a view to separation and recycling.

6.5 Waste from institutions, trade and offices

Waste from the service sector¹⁶ in 2000 amounted to 1,119,000 tonnes, which is 164,000 tonnes or 17 per cent more than in 1999.

Waste from the service sector divided into mixed and separated fractions is shown in Figure 16. The relative distribution is almost the same in 2000 as in 1999. However, the rate of the mixed fraction other¹⁷ increased by 6 percentage points to constitute today 14 per cent of the waste. This has taken place at the expense of the fractions various burnable, various non- combustible and separated paper and cardboard.

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Figure 16
Waste from institutions/trade and offices 2000, by mixed and separated fractions.

Of the 1,119,000 tonnes of waste generated in the service sector in 2000, 40 per cent was recycled, 46 per cent was incinerated, whereas 14 per cent was led to landfill, cf. Figure 17. The rate incinerated in 2000 is almost unchanged from 1999. In return, a diversion has taken place from landfilling to recycling, so that the rate for recycling increased by 3 percentage points.

Compared to targets for treatment in Waste 21 in year 2004 still too little waste was recycled and too much landfilled in 2000 from the service sector. If targets are to be met, separation and collection of waste must be improved so that a larger proportion of recyclable materials can be recycled and environmental contaminants separated and treated separately.

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Figur 17
Treatment of waste from institutions/trade and offices 1994-2000 and target year 2004

6.6 Residues from coal-fired power plants

The generation of residues at coal-fired power plants varies from one year to the next due to variations in Danish imports/exports of power to and from Sweden and Norway. Imports/exports of power to and from Sweden and Norway depend largely on precipitation in these countries – if there is much precipitation much power is generated from hydropower in Sweden and Norway, and Danish exports will be correspondingly lower.

For example, in 1996 exports of power were particularly high, which is reflected in amounts of residues in this year, cf. Figure 18. In 2000, there was much precipitation in Sweden which resulted in so much cheap power generated on the basis of hydropower that power plants in both Denmark and Norway had to cease operations temporarily.

Amounts of residues have decreased steadily since 1996. This decrease is explained partly by less power exports in the years since 1996, and partly by the Government’s Energy Action Plan, "Energy 21", according to which natural gas and renewable energy sources, including bio-fuels, shall substitute coal in the long-term perspective. It is reflected in energy statistics¹⁸ that a decreasing part of electricity generation is based on coal. Also in future, Energy 21 will result in a decrease in residues from coal-based energy generation, whereas there will be an increase in fly ash and bottom ash from bio-fuels.

Figure 18 shows that amounts of residues from coal-fired power plants in 2000 were at around 1,176,000 tonnes. 100 per cent was recycled. Actually, in 2000 residues were used to an extent that amounts landfilled in earlier years were excavated.

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Figure 18
Treatment of residues from coal-fired power plants 1994-2000 and target year 2004

Table 17 states recovery of residues in 2000 in more detail. More than 80 per cent of residues is used as raw materials in industrial manufacture of, for example, cement, concrete and plaster board, whereas the remaining part is primarily used as backfilling either under the terms of Statutory Order no. 655 of 27 June 2001 from the Ministry of Environment and Energy, or as backfilling with special approval under the Danish Environmental Protection Act.

Table 17
Recovery of residues from coal-fired power plants 2000. '000 tonnes.

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6.7 Sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants

Sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants in 2000 stated in wet weight amounted to 1,476,000 tonnes¹⁹, which is 97,000 tonnes more than in 1999, cf. Figure 19. The statement only includes sludge, excluding sand and screenings.

Sludge statistics²⁰ for 1999 from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency show that total sludge amounts in 1999 were at 155,621 tonnes stated in dry weight. This is around 2,000 tonnes more than the previous year.

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Figure 19
Treatment of sludge from wastewater treatment plants 1994-2000 and target year 2004

The increase in sludge amounts stated in wet weight is primarily due to new treatment technologies for sludge and not to a general increase in sludge amounts.

In the treatment in sludge mineralisation plants (long-term storage) sludge is registered with around 0.5 – 1 per cent dry matter, whereas alternatives typically contain 20 per cent.

Based on amounts in wet weight the treatment of sludge is distributed by around 77 per cent for recycling, 17 per cent for incineration and 6 per cent for landfilling. In amounts for recycling are included 510,155 tonnes of sludge in wet weight treated in long-term storage with the objective of further mineralisation. Amounts are included in recycling as it is expected that this sludge will be recycled in some years.

Sewage sludge is mainly recovered as fertiliser on farmland. In future, more stringent requirements for the contents of certain organic and chemical substances will be made in relation to application to farmland. In the short-term perspective, the rate of recycling is therefore expected to decrease. However, in future, the quality of sludge is expected to improve due to the general policy of phasing-out of xenobiotic substances.

It seems furthermore that alternative methods for the recovery of sludge are being developed to a still larger extent. After sludge incineration, the inorganic residue is recovered in the production of, for example, sand blasting agents or cement. Sludge recovered in such alternative methods in 2000 amounted to around 67,000 tonnes²¹. In Figure 19 these 67,000 tonnes have been included in incineration, as these treatment methods are considered as recovery and not recycling.

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