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Environmental Review, 1/2006 1 Waste generation and management
1.1 Waste generation 2004 and developments 2003-2004Waste generation in 2004 and developments in waste arisings from 2003 to 2004 are presented in Table 1 [4]. *From 2001 and onwards, the figures pertaining to service and industry should be interpreted with some reservation since there are fluctuations in the figures from the two sources which cannot be readily explained. Source: ISAG; Danisco; the Association of Danish Recycling Industries and large scrap dealers; Elsam; Energi E2; and Reports to the Danish EPA on sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants applied to farmland etc., and incineration of sludge at sludge incineration plants. (For sludge for recycling and incineration, figures from 2002 have been applied to 2004 – see footnote 26). From 2001, sludge is stated in wet weight, excluding however sludge for mineralisation which has been adjusted to 20 per cent dry matter. Sludge for long-term storage has been included in sludge amounts applied to farmland etc. Sludge for recovery has been included in sludge amounts for incineration. The figures do not include imports of waste. Waste generation is stated as amounts of waste delivered to treatment plants from all primary sources. Primary sources include waste generators other than waste treatment plants (reprocessing plants, incineration plants, composting/biogas plants and landfills). Slag, fly ash and flue-gas cleaning products from waste incineration plants are therefore not included in the statement, as this would result in the waste being counted twice. Moreover, waste from the primary source recycling centres/transfer stations has been allocated among the other primary sources. The principles behind this allocation are explained in Annex 2. Other waste includes the fractions packaging waste, plastic, sludge, and electric and electronic equipment. In 2004, Danish waste generation amounted to 13,359,000 tonnes. This corresponds to an increase of 6 per cent from the 2003 figure. Most of this increase stems from a 19 per cent increase in construction and demolition waste compared to 2003. Furthermore, there is an upward trend in amounts of waste from the service sector, where amounts have gone up by 11 per cent. As mentioned in the preface, the development in waste arisings from the service sector is, however, linked to great uncertainty. Waste amounts of slag, fly ash, etc. have gone down 20 per cent. Waste from households amounted to 3,164,000 tonnes in 2004. This is a 5 per cent increase in waste generation compared to 2003. The four types of waste from households either show no changes or have increased. Domestic waste arisings remain almost unchanged from previous years. As Table 1 shows, domestic waste arisings have increased by a total of 2 per cent during the period 1994 – 2000, showing only very slight changes from year to year [5]. Domestic waste includes separately collected paper, glass, organic waste, and other waste. The amount of bulky waste increased by 8 per cent, or 53,000 tonnes, compared to 2003. The amount of waste reported as other waste grew by 43 per cent, which corresponds to a total amount of waste of 86,000 tonnes. Packaging waste is included under other waste. Separated packaging waste became subject to reporting to the ISAG for the first time in 2001. However, this waste type is still not being reported to a sufficient extent. Therefore, packaging waste reported to the ISAG does not give a real picture of the total amount of collected packaging waste. Waste from the service sector amounted to 1,833,000 tonnes in 2004, which is 11 per cent more than in 2003. In absolute figures this is an increase of 178,000 tonnes. Waste from the service sector includes waste from institutions, trade and offices. This increase is apparent in the following fractions: various combustible; various non-combustible; paper and cardboard; healthcare risk waste; hazardous waste; and other waste. These fractions have increased by 13 per cent, 4 per cent, 1 percent, 1 per cent, 7 per cent, and 23 per cent respectively relative to 2003. The fractions glass and food waste/other organic waste have gone down by 12 per cent and 46 per cent respectively (see Table 26). Waste from industry rose by 1 per cent [6]. This means an increase of 14,000 tonnes; from 1,841,000 tonnes in 2003 to 1,855,000 tonnes in 2004. This increase is primarily evident in the fractions: various non-combustible, plastic, food waste/other organic waste, beet soil, sludge, hazardous waste, and other waste. Relative to 2003, these fractions increased by 17 per cent, 1 per cent, 6 per cent, 42 per cent, 12 per cent, 6 per cent, and 6 per cent respectively. On the other hand, the following fractions have gone down: various combustible, paper and cardboard, and ferrous metal. These fractions fell by 10 per cent, 11 per cent, and 12 per cent respectively. (See Table 27). Since 2001 there has been a shift in waste arisings between service and industry, so that amounts of waste from the service sector have increased significantly while amounts of waste from industry have decreased by about the same extent. Amounts of waste from industry thus fell by 20 per cent in the period 2002 to 2004, whereas amounts increased by 35 per cent in the service sector. In the period 2003 to 2004 waste volumes from industry increased by 1 per cent, whereas in the service sector volumes increased by 11 per cent. The shift between the two sectors may be due to faulty reporting as the source "manufacturing etc." was discontinued from 2001 following the amendment of the Statutory Order on Waste [7]. This means that waste from industry must be reported as originating from one of the following 11 subgroups: food, beverages and tobacco; textiles, clothing and leather goods; wood-working and furniture; paper and graphical production; chemicals etc.; rubber and plastic; stone-working, pottery and glass; ferrous metal; other manufacturing; utilities; agriculture, forestry, fishery etc. It is likely that some carriers find it easier to report industrial waste as service-sector waste. Parties reporting to the ISAG are therefore encouraged to be aware of this possible source of incorrect reporting. Changes in the industrial structure, the fact that society is changing from an industrial to a knowledge society, may be another reason for the shift between the two sectors. The shift is further underpinned by the fact that from the early 1990s until the beginning of 2001, the number of industrial enterprises went down significantly while there was a substantial increase in the number of new enterprises within the knowledge services industry [8]. The generation of waste in the building and construction sector increased from 2003 to 2004. Volumes of construction and demolition waste amounted to 4,496,000 tonnes in 2004, which is 711,000 tonnes, or 19 per cent, more than in 2003. This increase is present in the following fractions: various non-combustible, concrete, tiles, other construction/demolition waste, and soil and stone. These fraction rose by 5 per cent, 9 per cent, 18 per cent, 33 per cent, and 63 per cent respectively. On the other hand, the fractions asphalt, other recyclable waste, and other waste fell by 0.2 per cent, 37 per cent, and 0.3 per cent respectively. (See Table 30). A total of 528,377 more tonnes of soil and stone were reported in 2004. This is due e.g. to increased activity in the building and construction sector. By far the major part, or 94 per cent, of waste from the building and construction sector is recycled [9]. There has been a 2 per cent drop in the amount of sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants: in 2004 the amount was 819 tonnes, stated with a dry matter content of 20 per cent [10]. This is 17,000 tonnes less than in 2003. From 2001, sludge for mineralisation has been included with a dry matter content of 20 per cent, so that this sludge is incorporated into the statistics with the same dry matter content as other sludge. In previous years dry matter content for sludge for mineralisation was 1.5 per cent. Waste generation at coal-fired power plants fell by 20 per cent, from 1,473,000 tonnes in 2003 to 1,180,000 tonnes in 2004. This is primarily due to the fact that Denmark's actual consumption of coal for energy generation fell significantly from 2003 to 2004. In the period 1996 to 2000, there was a fall in waste arisings from coal-fired power plants. This can be attributed e.g. to the fact that there has been a conversion of energy generation from coal to renewable energy resources. Denmark had net imports of electricity for the first time in this period in 2000 [11]. 1.2 Waste management in 2004In the following, developments in Danish management of total waste arisings are described. Waste management is compared to treatment targets in the Danish government's Waste Strategy 2005-2008. Table 2 shows that 8,746,000 tonnes, corresponding to 65 per cent of total waste arisings, were recycled in 2004. In absolute figures, this is an increase of 528,000 tonnes in recycled waste relative to 2003. Source: same as Table 1, and the Danish government's Waste Strategy 2005-2008. The total sum of the percentage distribution between the different treatment options for 2001, 2003 and 2004 does not add up to 100 per cent due to rounding. Special treatment includes treatment of hazardous waste, including healthcare risk waste. The amount of waste incinerated in 2004 came to 3,437,000 tonnes. This is inclusive of 332,000 tonnes of sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants. This is actually an increase of 150,000 tonnes in waste amounts compared to the previous year, and it corresponds to 26 per cent of total waste arisings. Waste led to landfills in 2004 amounted to 1,024,000 tonnes, which constitutes an increase of 43,000 tonnes from 2003. The rate of waste landfilled amounts to 8 per cent of total waste arisings. The percentage share of waste led to landfills has fallen by 61 per cent in the period 1994 to 2004, corresponding to a fall in landfilled waste amounting to 1,589,000 tonnes. As the table shows, the relative distribution in recent years among treatment options has varied only little. Variations are often explained by developments in waste arisings in individual fractions. For example, variations in amounts of residues from coal-fired power plants and construction and demolition waste have large implications on the total rate of recycling, as these two waste types account for a large percentage of total waste arisings and typically have a rate of recycling of 90 per cent or more. In the Danish government's Waste Strategy 2005-2008 the target of stabilising Danish waste generation is supplemented by a number of qualitative elements such as better exploitation of resources in waste, better quality in treatment of waste, and limitation of problems caused by environmental contaminants in waste. In general, targets for different sectors and individual fractions will mean an increased rate of recycling and incineration. Overall waste treatment targets for 2008 in the government's Waste Strategy 2005-2008 are 65 per cent recycling, 26 per cent incineration, and a maximum of 9 per cent landfilling. As can be seen from Figure 1, the overall targets for treatment of waste in 2008 were met in 2004 and were already met for the first time in 2003. In 2004, one per cent of total waste arisings was reported under the treatment option storage. Storage means temporary landfilling of waste suitable for incineration until incineration capacity is available. This means that the waste is stored until it can be incinerated for the purpose of energy/heat generation. The general fall in the rate of waste led to landfills can be attributed to the ban on landfilling of waste suitable for incineration that came into effect on 1 January 1997. However, there are other important factors as well.
Source: same as Table 1. Note that total waste arisings in 2008 have been set to correspond to waste arisings in 2004. This should not be seen as a projection of developments in total waste arisings. The amount of residues from coal-fired power plants was reduced significantly and recycled to a greater extent. Thus as opposed to previously, a larger proportion was recycled rather than landfilled. 1.3 Treatment of waste without residues and construction and demolition wasteAmounts of residues from coal-fired power plants not only depend on energy consumption in Denmark, but also on exports of electricity to Sweden and Norway. In addition, due to the strategy of the past 10 years to phase out coal, a still larger shift is taking place from use of coal and coke to use of natural gas and renewable energy. Since 1996, when Denmark's electricity exports to Sweden and Norway were particularly large, amounts of residues decreased steadily up until and including 2000. In fact, this is a 786,000-tonne decrease (see Table 32), corresponding to a 40 per cent reduction. In the period 2003 to 2004, there has been a fall of 293,000 tonnes, which is primarily attributable to falling exports of electricity to e.g. Sweden, Norway, and Germany. This means that net exports of electricity decreased by 66 per cent from 2003 to 2004 [12]. Naturally, this has an impact on developments of total waste arisings, but as residues have a very high rate of recycling, it also has an impact on the ability to meet overall treatment targets. A similar picture is seen for construction and demolition waste. As discussed in section 5.4, the rate of recycling of construction and demolition waste typically reaches around 90 per cent. It is therefore interesting to look at the distribution of waste between the different treatment options, if residues and construction and demolition waste are excluded from the statistics. Figure 2 shows the distribution between the different treatment options when residues from coal-fired power plants are excluded from the statistics.
Source: same as Table 1. When residues are excluded it is seen that 63 per cent of remaining waste was recycled in 2004, which is an increase of 807,000 tonnes compared to total amounts in 2003. This more or less means that a substantial part of the increase in overall waste arisings is to be found in construction and demolition waste volumes, of which, as mentioned, a large part is being recycled. The rate of remaining waste in 2004 which was incinerated is 28 per cent, which is to say that 150,000 tonnes more waste were incinerated in 2004 than in the year before. The fact that in 2003 this figure was 2 per cent greater should be linked to the fact that the total waste generation was greater in 2004 than in 2003. The proportion of waste led to landfills was 8 per cent. In absolute figures this means that 57,000 tonnes more waste was landfilled in 2004 than in 2003. In absolute figures this means that in 2004, apart from residues, 12,179,000 tonnes of waste were generated, corresponding to an increase of 9 per cent from 2003. Of this, 7,612,000 tonnes were recycled, whereas 3,437,000 tonnes were incinerated, and 978,000 tonnes were landfilled. Moreover, 16,000 tonnes were treated separately and 136,000 tonnes have been temporarily landfilled until incineration capacity becomes available [13]. Total waste amounts without waste from coal-fired power plants increased by 33 per cent from 1994 to 2004. Waste from the building and construction sector has also been excluded from statistics in Figure 3. As is evident, this will make the recycling rate fall and the rate of waste which is incinerated or landfilled grow. In absolute figures, waste generation without residues and without waste from building and construction amounted to 7,684,000 tonnes in 2004, which is 328,000 tonnes, or about 4 per cent, more than in 2003. In other words, there has been an increase in total waste arisings, if residues and waste from building and construction are excluded. This increase is explained by an overall increase of waste from households and the service sector of 330,000 tonnes from 2003 to 2004. (See Table 1). Residues from coal-fired power plants and construction and demolition waste are recycled to a very large extent: in 2004, 96 per cent and 94 per cent respectively, cf. Chapter 5. As can be seen from Figure 3, the high recycling rates for these two sources contribute significantly to the overall recycling rate for the remaining waste. Since, proportionally, construction and demolition waste constitutes a large part of overall waste arisings, it means that the recycling rate falls when this waste type is excluded from the statement. The recycling of residues from coal-fired power plants and construction and demolition waste will therefore also have a great influence on fulfilling the treatment targets set out in the government's Waste Strategy 2005-2008.
Source: same as Table 1. 1.4 Treatment by source and waste typeFigure 4 shows total waste generation in 2004 analysed by source and treatment option. Figure 5 shows waste generation analysed by waste type and treatment option. Tables with detailed figures are given in Annex 1. Figure 4 shows that especially waste from the building and construction sector, power plants and wastewater treatment plants is characterised by very high recycling rates. Consequently, the targets for recycling set out in Waste Strategy 2005-2008 have been met for waste generated by these three sectors (see Annex 1). The rate of recycling of waste from industry is also fairly high: 60 per cent compared to a target of 65 per cent recycling. The high rate of recycling, however, is especially attributable to recycling of ferrous metal. Too much waste from this sector is still being led to landfills, namely 24 per cent against the target of only 15 per cent, and a challenge lies ahead to divert larger amounts of the other fractions from landfilling to incineration or recycling. The rate of recycling of waste from the service sector is likewise too low compared to the 2008 target of 50 per cent recycling. In 2004, 44 per cent of the waste was recycled. This, however, constitutes a significant rise from 2002, when only 36 per cent was recycled. Too much waste is being incinerated, namely 47 per cent against a target of 45 per cent. Too much waste is being landfilled: 8 per cent against the target of 5 per cent. The challenge for the service sector is to divert more waste from incineration and landfilling to recycling. Treatment of the waste type domestic waste also does not comply with the targets set out in Waste Strategy 2005-2008, cf. Figure 5. In 2004, only 17 per cent of this waste type was recycled. In the period 1994 to 2002 the recycling rate fluctuated between 14 per cent and 17 per cent (see also Figure 7).
Source: same as Table 1. The target is to reach a recycling rate for domestic waste of 20 per cent in 2008, whereas the targets for incineration and landfilling are 80 per cent and 0 per cent respectively. The rate of domestic waste incinerated in 2004 reached 83 per cent, whereas about 1 per cent was led to landfills [14].
Source: same as Table 1. 1.5 Developments in waste generation 1994-2004.Table 3 shows total waste arisings in Denmark for the years 1994 to 2004. Breakdown of the information is by source. There was a 20 per cent increase in total waste arisings in the period 1994 to 2004. Waste generation was largest in 2004. Due to the changes in statement methods for 2001, waste arisings for this year should be taken with some reservation. In the period 1994 to 2004, waste arisings have fluctuated, but at have stayed at around 13 million tonnes in recent years, however with a more substantial increase in 2004. The increase in the first half of the 1990s may be due partly to the fact that coverage of the ISAG system increased and partly due to real increases in waste arisings. The large amounts of waste in 1996 were primarily due to particularly high amounts of residues from coal-fired power plants in 1996, which in turn were due to large exports of electricity to Sweden and Norway. However, increasing waste arisings in 2000 must be attributed to an increase in waste from households and waste from building and construction. The same applies for 2002. For 2004, the increase in waste arisings must be ascribed to more waste from the service sector and the building and construction sector. Source: same as Table 1. Other waste includes the fractions packaging waste, plastic, sludge, and electrical and electronic equipment. *The figures pertaining to service and industry from 2001 and onwards should be interpreted with some reservation since there are fluctuations in the figures for the two sources which cannot be readily explained. Footnotes[4] Regrettably, an error was made in Waste Statistics 2003, where about 222,000 tonnes of sludge was counted twice. This means that overall waste arisings in 2003 totalled 12,614,000 tonnes and not, as stated previously, 12,835,000 tonnes. [5] Developments from 1994 to 2004 are described in more detail in section 1.5. [6] In Waste Statistics 2002, the sources with codes 20-30 (previously called manufacturing etc.) are called industry. [7] Statutory Order no. 619 of 27 June 2000 on waste. [8] Statistical Ten-Year Review 2003 and 2004, Statistics Denmark. [9] Note however that a large part of the soil delivered is led to soil remediation. Presumably, some of the treated soil cannot be recycled but must be landfilled, which means the overall recycling rate may go down. The Danish EPA will look into this in Waste Statistics 2005. [10] As of yet, there is no statement from the municipal wastewater treatment plants of the amounts of sludge applied to farmland or incinerated at sludge incineration plants in 2004. For recycling and incineration, the 2002 figures from the Danish EPA's sludge statistics have therefore been used, while for landfilling the 2004 figures from the ISAG have been used. See "Sewage sludge from municipal and private wastewater treatment plants in 2002". Environmental Review No. 5, 2004, Danish EPA. [11] Preliminary figures from the Danish Energy Authority on energy generation and consumption, and CO2 emissions in 2004. Denmark's actual energy consumption from coal was 238 PJ in 2003; in 2004 this figure fell to 186 PJ. [12] The Danish Energy Authority's monthly electricity statistics. [13] Exemption clause in Section 37(3), Danish Statutory Order on Waste (Statutory Order No. 619 of 27 June 2000). [14] Note that organic domestic waste suitable for incineration must be assigned to incineration. However, for islands that are not connected by land to an incineration plant there is an exemption from this duty of assignment. Here, landfilling is allowed.
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