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Waste Statistics 1998

5. Imports and exports of waste

5.1 Imports

Table 10 shows imported amounts of waste for 1997 and 1998 distributed on waste fractions and treatment options. Amounts of imported waste decreased by 6 per cent from 1997 to 1998 and account for just above 4 per cent of waste generated in Denmark.

Table 10 Look here!

91 per cent of imported waste is categorised as green waste for recovery according to the EU Regulation on shipments of waste, and it covers glass, paper and cardboard, plastic, ferrous metals, as well as organic waste. Waste imported is destined for recycling or incineration with energy recovery.

The remaining 9 per cent of waste imported is listed on the OECD amber and red lists and is subject to mandatory notification under the EU Regulation on shipments of waste, cf. Table 12. Waste of this type is destined for disposal (landfilling and incineration without energy recovery) or recovery (recycling and incineration with energy recovery).

Table 11 shows amounts of waste exported in 1997 and 1998. It is seen that amounts exported account for some 10 per cent of total waste generation in Denmark. In 1998, exports of waste were some 60,000 tonnes below the 1997 level. This decrease is mainly due to a decrease in exports of ferrous metals, whereas there was an increase in exports of, for example, fly ash and slag from coal-fired power plants and flue gas cleaning products from waste incineration plants.

Just above 93 per cent of amounts exported is classified as green waste destined for recovery, and it covers primarily the fractions paper and cardboard and ferrous metals, which alone account for 73 per cent of exports.

Sources: (1) Statistics Denmark, (2) Association of Danish Recycling Industries and other large scrap dealers,
(3) Elsam and Elkraft (4) Registrations according to EU regulation on shipments of waste
(5) Collection of nickel-cadmium batteries registered by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency
(6) ISAG 1997 and ISAG 1998.

Exports of waste destined for disposal and waste destined for recovery, which are listed on the OECD red and amber waste lists, are subject to mandatory notification in accordance with the EU Regulation of shipments of waste. These exports amounted to some 137,000 tonnes in 1998, cf. table 12, which is 23,000 tonnes more than in 1997.

Table 12 shows countries of export and import of waste subject to mandatory notification.

It is seen that Denmark did not import much waste for disposal in 1998: only just above 9,000 tonnes. Most waste was imported from Norway.

By contrast, some 36,000 tonnes of waste were imported with a view to recovery in 1998, which is 12,000 tonnes less than in 1997. Of these amounts, the large majority of waste came from Germany, consisting of fractions such as waste oil and sewage sludge.

Countries receiving most waste for recovery from Denmark in 1998 were Spain, Sweden and Germany, whereas waste for disposal was exported to Norway and Germany. Waste exported from Denmark for recovery or disposal abroad is typically household hazardous waste, lead batteries and residues from incineration of household waste.

In 1998, 38,000 tonnes of waste were exported for disposal, which is 10,000 tonnes more than in 1997. Just above 99,000 tonnes were exported for recovery. This is 13,500 tonnes more than in 1997.

Sources: Danish Environmental Protection Agency, database of shipments. The registration is made on the background of completed consignment notes under EU Regulation 259/93 on shipments of waste. The consignee must send a copy of the filled-in consignment note to the competent authorities within three working days after receipt of the waste. OECD-codes are defined in Commission Decision of 21^st October 1994 (no. L 288/36, Official Journal of the European Communities of 9^th November 1994).

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