Kortlægning og vurdering af storskrald

English Summary

English Summary

The overall purpose of this project is to carry out a survey and an evaluation of the existing bulky waste arrangement with a view to provide the knowledge which can be used in local and governmental planning.

The work is divided into series of phases, which is shown in the composition in the present report. The phases are as follows:

Choice of method

The collection of data takes place in connection with a survey of bulky waste, estimation of the amount of bulky waste and in the estimation of the composition of bulky waste.

The survey of the municipal arrangements for bulky waste is based on a questionnaire survey including all the 275 Danish municipalities and an enlarged interview survey carried out in 12 selected municipalities.

The amounts of bulky waste has been worked out partly taking its starting point in EPA's (Miljøstyrelsens) "Informationssytem for Affald og Genanvendelse" ISAG, partly based on the amounts stated by the municipalities in the questionnaire survey.

The survey of municipalities' bulky waste arrangements and the calculation of the amount of bulky waste have made it possible to point out parts of the bulky waste and its composition is being described on the basis of a sorting analysis.

Estimation of arrangements
Arrangements in 239 municipalities have been surveyed. 36 municipalities have not stated their type of bulky waste arrangements.
The survey shows the following distribution of the arrangements for bulky waste:

The majority of municipalities have more than one arrangement and manned container sites exist in more than 90% of the responding municipalities (1995). This type of arrangement becomes more and more common and often in a combination with door to door collections.

Control of the waste, the possibility of sorting out the waste into units and a high degree of cleanness of the units make the manned container sites an important part in the municipal handling of waste.

Working conditions
The working conditions have been described including the staff's use of aids. The staff's physical workload and conditions are various and depend on the type of arrangement. It must be emphasised that there is not made any actual assessment of the working conditions.

The amount of bulky waste and its composition
The information concerning the amount of bulky waste reported from the municipalities and from the ISAG, who receives information from the waste treatment plants, are being compared.

The result is used to clarify which basis of data should be used in setting up units of data. The comparison shows major differences in the two calculations.

For the 189 municipalities from where there is alike information from the questionnaire survey concerning the amount and from ISAG, the total amount is 20% larger in the questionnaire survey.

The difference is due to the fact that the municipalities and the waste treatment plants do not have the same definition of bulky waste. Since the information from the municipalities are the most detailed and complete in proportion to the chosen definition of bulky waste, these information are used as the basis for setting up the units of data.

On the basis of the registered amounts of bulky waste (ISAG 1995) the complete amount is calculated to 620.000 tons (ISAG, statistics of waste). In forecast for year 2000, 400.000 tons of bulky waste is expected (Plan of action regarding waste and recycling 1993-97). In the present survey is the amount of bulky waste calculated to approximately 980.000 tons, which is corresponding to 421 kg per household a year.

It must be noted that in a project like this the point of reference is the municipalities individually stated amounts, and therefore uncertainties in basis of data will occur. That is due to the municipalities various definitions of bulky waste.

Sorting analysis of bulky waste

Combustible and non-combustible bulky waste is sorted out. The purpose is to describe these two units composition more detailed.

Combustible bulky waste mainly consists of the following groups of products: furniture, household effects, and demolition waste and packaging.

Non-combustible bulky waste from the unmanned container sites mainly consist of demolition waste. Non-combustible waste collected through collection arrangements mainly consists of: electrical- and electronic products, furniture and household effects, and demolition waste.

Besides from the actual bulky waste, the analysis also showed the occurrence of other types of waste such as: garden waste, household waste and oil- and chemical waste. The household waste was parted into glass, paper, and other households waste.

The contents of other types of waste than bulky waste, partly depends on the type of arrangement and partly on the unit.

Likewise large combustible waste has a minor part of other types of waste than small combustible waste.

Combustible waste from manned container sites contented 12%(15) garden waste, 11%(10) paper, 6%(20) garbage waste and 1%(1) oil- and chemical waste. The values in the parentheses show the dispersion of other types of waste in combustible waste, from unmanned container sites, from those 5% of offal was discovered as well.

No clinical waste was found in the sorting analyses.

Heavy metals in bulky waste
The occurrence of selected heavy metals in bulky waste has been described and estimated. Bulky waste with a particular environmentally heavy impact, groups of material and their sources are being pointed out with special reference to describing the potential heavy metal impact from the bulky waste. It is concluded that it is relevant to screen bulky waste for the occurrence of products which contain heavy metal such as Cd, Pb, Hg, Cu and Cr.

In the examined combustible and non-combustible bulky waste 133 potential materials and products containing heavy metal were identified. The amount of the most occurring products that are to be found within these groups of products and materials are:

Small amounts of battery-powered products were found in the combustible unit.

The most occurring group of products containing heavy metals is demolition waste. These products are mostly to be found in big combustible bulky waste. Pressure-treated wood accounts for the next most obligingly product within demolition waste. Removing pressure-treated wood can carry out a considerable reduction of burning of bulky waste containing heavy metal.

The most occurring products are upholstered furniture, surface treated household effects made out of wood. The mentioned products are mostly to be found in big combustible bulky waste.

Amounts of units
The average for 7 types of bulky waste arrangements the amount varies between 274 kg and 666 kg per household a year.

The arrangement type manned container sites in combination with door to door collection produces an average of 420 kg per household a year. This type of arrangement represents the largest basis of data (121 municipalities out of 239) as well as it is the type of arrangement that most of the municipalities are expected to switch to, if they do wish to switch arrangements.

To day many of the other combinations of arrangements are only used a little and the amount is expected to be reduced even more within a few years.

The enlargement of the unit of data on national basis has its reference point in the actual occurring amounts in the following type of arrangement manned container sites in combination with a collection arrangement. The degree of urbanisation has been taken into account. The unit of data concerning bulky waste is calculated on the basis of the information collected from the municipalities.