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Waste Statistics 1999

2. Waste generation

Total Danish waste generation in the period from 1994 to 1999 distributed on commercial sources is shown in Table 1.

As the table shows, waste generation peaked in 1996. Waste amounts increased by 16 per cent from 1994 to 1996. This is mainly due to especially large amounts of residues from coal-fired power plants in 1996 – which again is due to large exports of power to Sweden and Norway. After 1996, waste amounts decreased by around 5 per cent in the period from 1996 to 1999.

If the entire period from 1994 to 1999 is considered, waste amounts have increased by 10 per cent. This increase may be due to real increases, but also to the fact that not all treatment plants reported to the ISAG system in the early years – even if they should have done so. In other words, the coverage of the ISAG has increased since its beginning in 1994.

Table 1 Look here!

With the exception of amounts of residues from coal-fired power plants, which decreased by 34 per cent, waste amounts from all commercial sources have increased in the period 1994 – 99.

Amounts of waste from households increased by 15 per cent. However, amounts of domestic waste have been relatively stable throughout the period.

Waste amounts from the service sector increased by 46 per cent. The major part of this increase took place from 1994 to 1995. From 1995 to 1999 the increase has only been 15 per cent.

Waste from industry peaked in 1998 with a little less than 2.8 million tonnes, which is 21 per cent more than in 1994. In 1999, amounts decreased by 130,000 tonnes, so that over the entire period of 1994 – 99 there has been an increase of 15 per cent.

Amounts of waste from the building and construction sector – a sector that is very sensitive to economic fluctuations – increased by 22 per cent from 1994 to 1999. This overall increase covers an increase of 41 per cent from 1994 to 1997, whereas amounts since 1997 decreased by 13 per cent.

Amounts of sludge from wastewater treatment plants increased by 19 per cent since 1994. However, stated by dry matter the increase has not been significant, and the change is mainly due to new sludge management technologies.

Total waste generation in Denmark in 1994 - 1999 and developments in waste amounts from 1998 to 1999 are presented in Table 2.

Table 2 Look here!

The table shows that total waste generation in 1999 amounted to 12,233,000 tonnes, which is identical to 1998.

Waste amounts from households increased overall by 6 per cent in 1999 compared to 1998, and accounted for 2,963,000 tonnes in 1999 against 2,796,000 tonnes in 1998. However, this overall increase covers a minor decrease of 2 per cent in domestic waste. As explained in section 2.1, amounts of domestic waste have been relatively stable from 1994 to 1999, and there have been only small fluctuations over the years.

Amounts of bulky waste and garden waste from households increased from 1998 to 1999 by 17 per cent and 6 per cent respectively. Furthermore, the group "other" increased by almost 96 per cent. However, this group only accounts for a very small part of waste from households and has therefore no significant influence on total amounts.

Generation of waste in the service sector peaked in 1998 with 955,000 tonnes and remained at this level in 1999.

Waste from industry amounted in 1999 to 2,653,000 tonnes, which is 130,000 tonnes or 5 per cent less than the previous year. This decrease is in particular due to large decreases in the amounts of non-burnable waste, beet soil and sludge.

Amounts of construction and demolition waste are almost unchanged compared to 1998. There has been an insignificant increase of 6,000 tonnes from 2,962,000 tonnes in 1998 to 2,968,000 tonnes in 1999.

Stated in wet weight, the generation of sludge at wastewater treatment plants increased by 128,000 tonnes or 10 per cent from 1997 to 1998. However, there has only been a minor increase of 2,600 tonnes stated in dry weight. Some of this increase is believed to be attributable to the national wastewater tax, as this tax has meant that many wastewater treatment plants clean wastewater more than required in the discharge licence¹.

Waste generation at coal-fired power plants decreased by 12 per cent, corresponding to a decrease from 1,469,000 tonnes in 1998 to 1,299,000 tonnes in 1999.

Total waste generation in Denmark in the last four years is illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1.  Look here!

Amounts of residues from coal-fired power plants are not only related to Danish power consumption, but also to exports of power to Sweden and Norway. In addition, due to Energy 21 natural gas and renewable energy sources are used increasingly in power generation at the expense of coal.

Therefore, it may be reasonable to make a statement of developments in waste amounts WITHOUT slag and fly ash in order to obtain a more realistic picture of developments in waste generation, cf. Table 3.

Table 3 Look here!

The table shows that the implications for the developments in total waste amounts in the period 1998 to 1999 of keeping residues from coal-fired power plants apart from statistics are insignificant. In absolute figures, it gives an increase in waste amounts of 170,000 tonnes in 1999 compared to 1998 – an increase of a good 2 per cent.

The stabilisation in total waste amounts must therefore be attributed in particular to developments in waste amounts from households, the service sector, industry and the building and construction sector.

Below, developments in treatment of total waste amounts are described. Furthermore, treatment is related to targets for treatment in the Danish Government’s Waste Management Plan 1998 – 2004, Waste 21.

Table 4 Look here!

It is seen from Table 4 that 7,815,000 tonnes, corresponding to 64 per cent of total waste amounts were recycled in 1999. This is an increase of 273,000 tonnes or 2 percentage points compared to the rate of recycling in 1998. Waste incinerated in 1999 amounted to 2,929,000 tonnes - 24 per cent of total amounts – which is 189,000 tonnes more than in 1998. Landfilling in 1999 accounted for 396,000 tonnes less than in 1998, corresponding to a decrease of 3 percentage points.

In recent years, the relative distribution among treatment options has varied only little. Variations are often explained by developments in amounts of the different fractions. For example, variations in amounts of residues from coal-fired power plants and construction and demolition waste have large implications for the total rate of recycling, as these two waste types generally have a rate of recycling of 90 per cent or more.

According to Waste 21, short-term targets for stabilisation of waste generation are supplemented by a number of qualitative elements such as better exploitation of resources in waste, quality in treatment of waste and mitigation of problems caused by environmental contaminants in waste.

Overall, targets for sectors and fractions mean that the rate of recycling will increase, that more waste is incinerated, and that the need for landfilling will decrease. Overall targets in Waste 21 for waste management in year 2004 are 64 per cent recycling, 24 per cent incineration and a maximum of 12 per cent landfilling.

Figure 2 Look here!

As Figure 2 shows, overall targets for waste treatment have been complied with in 1999. This is believed to be attributable to the ban on landfilling of waste suitable for incineration that came into effect on 1 January 1997. Furthermore, amounts of residues from coal-fired power plants have decreased, and they are furthermore recycled to a larger extent than in previous years where they were mainly landfilled.

Another significant factor is sludge. Sludge in long-term storage has been included in recycling. Sludge in long-term storage amounted to 396,000 tonnes in 1999. The correctness of including long-term storage in recycling may be questioned as there is no guarantee that the sludge is actually recycled as intended.

Figure 3 shows the distribution of waste on the different treatment options when residues from coal-fired power plants are kept apart from statistics.

Figure 3 Look here!

When residues are kept apart it is seen that 60 per cent of the remaining waste was recycled in 1999, which is an increase of 245,000 tonnes from 1998.

The share of remaining waste incinerated increased a little from 25 per cent in 1998 to 26 per cent in 1999, whereas the share of remaining waste going to landfill decreased by 2 percentage points compared to 1998. Thus, in 1999, 198,000 tonnes less than in 1998 went to landfill.

In absolute figures this means that without slag and fly ash 10,934,000 tonnes of waste were generated in 1999. Of this, 6,528,000 tonnes were recycled, 2,929,000 tonnes were incinerated, 1,460,000 tonnes went to landfill, whereas 17,000 tonnes were subjected to special treatment.

In Figure 4 waste from the building and construction sector is also kept apart from statistics. This causes the rate of recycling to decrease whereas the rates of incineration and landfilling increase.

Residues from coal-fired power plants and construction and demolition waste are recycled to a very large extent: in 1999, 99 per cent and 90 per cent respectively. It is seen that these two fractions play a very significant role in the compliance with overall waste treatment targets in Waste 21.

Figure 4 Look here!

Figure 5 shows total waste generation in 1999 distributed on sources and treatment options. Figure 6 shows waste generation distributed on waste types and treatment options. Tables with detailed figures are given in Appendix 1.

Figure 5 Look here!

Figure 5 shows that especially waste from the building and construction sector, coal-fired power plants and wastewater treatment plants reach a very high rate of recycling.

Waste 21 targets for recycling have been reached for waste from these three sectors.

Waste from industry also has a relatively high rate of recycling: 58 per cent. But still, the Waste 21 target of 65 per cent is far from being complied with. This is due to the fact that too much waste from industry still goes to landfill. In 1999, 22 per cent of waste was landfilled, which is 5 percentage points less than in 1998, but still some way from the target of a maximum of 15 per cent landfilling.

Correspondingly, recycling of waste from the service sector² is not sufficient in relation to the Waste 21 targets. In 1999 only 37 per cent of this waste was recycled; the target for year 2004 is 50 per cent. By contrast, the target of 45 per cent incineration was reached in 1999. The target for landfilling of waste from this sector in 2004 is 5 per cent.

As 17 per cent of waste from this sector goes to landfill it is necessary to divert more waste from landfilling to recycling if the targets are to be complied with.

Figure 6 Look here!

Treatment of domestic waste does not comply with targets in Waste 21. Only 15 per cent of this waste was recycled in 1999.

The target is to reach a rate of recycling of 30 per cent in 2004. 78 per cent of domestic waste was incinerated in 1999, whereas 7 per cent went to landfill³. The targets are 70 per cent and 0 per cent respectively.

¹ Sewage sludge from municipal and private wastewater treatment plants in 1998. Review from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, May 2000.

² Waste from institutions/trade and offices.

³ There is a general ban on landfilling of domestic waste. However, it is allowed to landfill domestic waste on islands that do not have land connections to the mainland.

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