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Statistik for genanvendelse af emballageaffald 2005

Summary and conclusions

New specification of recycling of glass, metal, paper and cardboard, plastic and wood in Denmark - 2005

We are close to meeting the goal in the Government’s waste plan, Waste Strategy 2005-2008, and the requirements in the EU packaging directive. The recycling goals for the packaging materials glass, metal, paper and cardboard have been reached, however, there is still some way before the goal for plastic packaging has been met. In 2005 there was great progress in the collection of plastic packaging. The collection percentage was 19.1 per cent, but the goal in 2008 is 22.5 per cent. This means that, assuming unchanged consumption, a further 6,000 tonnes plastic packaging must be collected in the coming years.

Background and purpose

General view of the development

In the EU packaging directive goals have been established for recycling different packaging materials until 31 December 2008:

-          60 per cent of cardboard and paper packaging waste

-          60 per cent of glass packaging^[1]

-          22.5 per cent of plastic packaging

-          50 per cent of metal packaging

-          15 per cent of wood packaging

In this report the results of the observed recycling of packaging waste in 2005 have been described. The results are presented as a number of specifications prepared for five packaging materials, i.e. for glass, metal, paper and cardboard, plastic and wood packaging. The specification of the recycling of paper and cardboard packaging also contains a specification of the collection of recycled paper and cardboard.

The specifications on recycled paper and glass packaging both have a longstanding tradition and were established in the mid 1980’es. Precisely these two materials were the goals for some of the first publicly controlled recycling activities aimed at the households. However, arrangements for collection of recycled paper and glass packaging from commercial enterprises and industrial enterprises have also existed for many years, and long before the attention was directed to collection from households.

The specifications on plastic, metal and wood packaging started much later. Collection and recycling of metal/metal packaging from the enterprises has always taken place, but focus is now also on the households. The same applies to collecting used plastic packaging. When adjusting the EU Packaging Directive in 2004, wood packaging was also covered by the directive.

The survey

Data input from enterprises and authorities

The statistics are based on data from many different sources. Overall it is a question of two different types of information, partly data from public authorities, including joint local authority waste companies, and partly data from enterprises. Data from the individual enterprises or business organizations  are reported to the project.

The typical approach is that at the beginning of the year reporting forms are sent to a great number of manufacturers and collection and processing companies within each type of material. In this way it is possible to achieve knowledge of how much has been collected and produced.

This information is compared to what could potentially be collected. The potential is calculated on the background of information from manufacturers and on the basis of the merchandise and foreign trade statistics. The potentials are published annually in “The packaging supply in Denmark”.

Main conclusions

Danes recycle a lot

The statistics show that the total consumption of glass packaging for 2005 amounted to 158,700 tonnes. Wine and alcohol bottles amount to approx. 65 per cent of the consumption of glass. 119,300 tonnes glass packaging was collected and recycled, which corresponds to 75 per cent of the potential. The quantity included 56,300 tonnes recyclable wine bottles, while the rest consisted of broken glass. Out of the recyclable bottles collected, 20,100 tonnes were recycled in Denmark.

Figures for metal packaging show that 40,000 tonnes of metal packaging was used in 2005. Close to a quarter of the used metal packaging was made of aluminium whereas the remaining part primarily consisted of steel packaging including tinplate. Approx. 24,000 tonnes, corresponding to 59.8 per cent of the potential was recycled. Incineration residues are included in the quantity.

The total consumption of new paper amounted to 1,447,000 tonnes in 2005. The production of new paper in the Danish paper mills was 422,500 tonnes. Recycling of recycled paper has been estimated at 870,000 tonnes, which corresponds to 60.0 per cent of the potential.

The total consumption of plastic packaging amounted to 182,800 tonnes in 2005. The main part (69 per cent) of consumption consisted of PE (polyethylene). Recycling of plastic packaging was estimated at 34,850 tonnes, which was almost exclusively collected from business enterprises. The recycling quantity corresponds to 19.1 per cent of the potential. Exports of plastic packaging waste amounted to 75 per cent of the quantity collected.

Consumption of wood packaging has been estimated at 120,500 tonnes in 2005. The main part of wood packaging consists of wood pallets. In 2005 approx. 1.8 million wood pallets were collected and repaired. The recycled quantity has been estimated at 29,170 tonnes, which gives a recycling rate of 24.2 per cent.

The total supply of all five packaging materials (which amounts to 99.5 per cent of all packaging) has been estimated at 983,000 tonnes in 2005. Of this, 516,000 tonnes were collected for recycling, or 52.5 per cent of all packaging. The EU’s target is a minimum of 55 per cent in 2008.

Project results

The quantity of glass packaging collected is decreasing – but so is consumption

In 2005, 158,721 tonnes glass packaging was used. The quantity of packaging in the recycling systems is not included in this. Compared with 2004, a decrease has taken place. Recycling of glass packaging amounted to 119,266 tonnes corresponding to a recycling rate of 75 per cent. The remaining 25 per cent primarily ends in waste suitable for incineration.

In 2005 approx. 118.5 million unbroken bottles were collected, which corresponds to approx. 56,290 tonnes (Table 1). Out of this bottle quantity, 20,093 tonnes were refilled in Denmark, while the remaining were exported. The relatively high export is a result of the fact that the bottleries in Denmark cannot purchase larger quantities than they do today. One of the reasons is that the quantity of imported bulk wine, which is typically bottled in recycled bottles, is relatively small, corresponding to 40 per cent of consumption (Table 1).

Table 1. Glass packaging consumption and recycling in Denmark. ‘000 tonnes

Note: The statistics do not include packaging in recycling systems

1) Private persons’ purchases in border trade

2) Including collected but not deposited broken glass

The remaining part of the glass packaging collected in 2005, i.e. 62,976 tonnes, primarily consisted or broken glass for recycling (Table 1). Of this quantity, 32,858 tonnes were recycled in Denmark and the remaining part was exported. Brewery broken glass is not included.

The quantity of metal packaging collected is unchanged in 2005

The collected potential for 2005 has been estimated at 39,989 tonnes. 23,916 tonnes of metal packaging was collected for recycling in 2005, which corresponds to 59.8 per cent of the total potential (Table 2).

On the face of it, there is an increase compared to 2004, where 18,891 tonnes were collected. However, the increase is not real. It is a question of technical adjustment, as the part of packaging collected in the municipality/light iron fraction changed from 2.2 per cent in 2004 to 5.6 per cent in 2005.

The application of the new percentage rate explains the entire increase in the collection quantity from 2004 to 2005.

Table 2. Metal packaging consumption and collection in Denmark. Tonnes

Metal collected via container stations contributes with 38 per cent and incineration iron with 34 per cent of the collection quantity. The remaining part is collected directly from the enterprises.

The collection percentage for aluminium is 66 per cent, while for steel packaging it is 58 per cent. Out of the total collected quantity, the steel fraction (iron, base metal and tinplate) amounts to close to 76 per cent.

The paper collection increased

The consumption of new paper increased in 2005 to a total of 1,447,126 tonnes (Table 3). The Danish production of new paper amounted to 422,562 tonnes in 2005. 438,000 tonnes recycled paper was used in production. The consumption of recycled paper exceeds production due to the fact that unclean recycled paper, fillers and short fibres are removed during processing.

The collection of recycled paper for recycling amounted to 869,981 tonnes. Compared with consumption, 60.1 per cent of paper was recycled again. Trade and offices together with private households contributed a total of 70 per cent of the collection quantity.

Table 3. Consumption, collection and recycling of paper in Denmark. ’000 tonnes

Note: The part of paper and paper packaging only appears from Table 6

Corrugated cardboard and better qualities accounted for respectively 43 and 29 per cent of the total consumption of recycled paper in factories, which corresponds to a total quantity of 325,000 tonnes.

How is the paper and cardboard quantity calculated?

A part of the paper and cardboard quantity collected consists of packaging. We are not aware exactly how big the packaging part is, but packaging typically occurs in the qualities mixed paper and cardboard and also in corrugated cardboard. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the packaging contents in the two fractions are respectively 30 and 98. The collection of paper and corrugated cardboard packaging can accordingly be estimated at 309,682 tonnes or 60 per cent (Table 6) of the paper and cardboard potential.

Increase in collection of plastic packaging

The consumption of plastic packaging in 2005 has been estimated at 182,798 tonnes. The collection of plastic packaging for recycling was 34,863 tonnes, corresponding to 19.1 per cent of consumption. According to the EU Packaging Directive, 22.5 per cent is to be collected before the end of 2008. This implies that collection must be increased by 6,000 tonnes or 17 per cent by 2008, assuming the same consumption as in 2005.

Table 4. Plastic packaging and collection in Denmark. Tonnes

The main part (70 per cent) of the consumption of plastic packaging is produced in polyethylene. Consequently, this packaging accounts for the largest part of the plastic material collected. Collection from commercial enterprises accounts for more than 90 per cent of the collection. The export of plastic packaging waste amounted to 26,274 tonnes in 2005 or 75 per cent of the quantity collected.

Wood packaging

It is difficult to form a clear picture of the wood packaging quantity, which is processed, as only a limited quantity goes through the traditional waste processing system. A large quantity ends in incinerators and wood burners.

Table 5. Wood packaging consumption and collection in Denmark. Tons

The consumption of wood packaging has been estimated at 120,582 tonnes in 2005. Approx. 90 per cent of this quantity consists of wood pallets (Table 5). In addition there is a quantity of cardboard boxes, crates and wood drums.

The specification of the collected and recyclable quantity is based on an estimation of the number of EUR pallets removed from the recycling system in order to be repaired. After repair, these pallets are again included in the recycling system.

In 2005, 2.5 million pallets were collected for repair, of which 30 per cent was discarded. Dependent upon the pallet size, between 2 and 4 kilos in average per EUR pallet is being replaced. The result is a recyclable quantity of 29,169 tonnes. Compared to the potential, this recyclable quantity amounts to 24.2 per cent in 2005.

Reporting to the EU

According to the EU Packaging Directive, Denmark must report each year information about how the collection and recycling of the five packaging materials develop compared with the specific targets. The results achieved and the respective targets are shown in Table 6.

Please note that the calculated glass packaging potential and the recycling quantity shown in Table 1 and Table 6 are not identical due to different calculation methods.

Tablel 6. Recycling in 2005. Reporting to the EU. Tonnes

1) Please note that this concerns paper and cardboard packaging. In table 3, the total paper and cardboard consumption has been assessed.

Compared to the EU packaging requirements, Denmark does not yet (2008) meet requirements for plastic packaging.

Fodnoter

^[1]This goal is based on reports for the Packaging Directive and cannot be compared to the 70% in 2004, which has been described in the article.

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Version 1.0 April 2007, © Miljøstyrelsen.