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Waste Statistics 1999

3. Recycling

Table 5 shows waste fractions that are recycled, either by reprocessing, composting or biogasification. The table is not an outline of total amounts of these fractions.

Table 5 Look here!

As the table shows, total amounts of waste for recycling increased by 274,000 tonnes from 1998 to 1999. There is, however, no clear trend for the different fractions.

For example, recycling of paper and cardboard was 30,000 tonnes less in 1999 than in 1998, whereas recycling of plastic and bottles/glass increased by 5,000 tonnes and 18,000 tonnes respectively. It is also interesting to note that recycling of residues from coal-fired power plants in absolute figures increased by 10,000 tonnes despite the fact that total amounts of this fraction were 170,000 tonnes less in 1999 than in 1998.

Another fraction showing significant changes is "sludge from other sources", which is mainly sludge generated in industrial manufacture. Total recycling of this fraction in 1999 amounted to 72,000 tonnes, which is 69,000 tonnes less than in 1998.

Total collected waste paper in 1999 amounted to 593,000 tonnes, which is a decrease of 30,000 tonnes or 5 per cent compared to 1998. However, some of this decrease may be explained by a few cases of double or incorrect registrations in the ISAG in 1998. This has meant that total registered amounts of paper and cardboard in 1998⁴ were around 20,000 tonnes more than it should have been.

Table 6 shows the distribution of collected paper on sources. Not surprisingly, the largest amounts of waste paper are collected from households, the service sector⁵ and industry.

Collected waste paper from the service sector increased by 9 per cent from 1998 to 1999, whereas there was a decrease of 14 per cent and 9 per cent respectively in the collected amounts from households and industry.

Table 6 Look here!

The consumption of new paper in the period 1995 to 1998 is stated in Table 7. Remark that the statement of consumption of virgin paper in 1999 is not available as yet⁶.

Table 7.
Consumption and recycling of paper and cardboard in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998. In ‘000 tonnes.

Sources: (1) Material stream analysis of waste paper from the Danish Waste Management Information Centre and Statistics Denmark. (2) ISAG reports for 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998. (3) Statistics Denmark. The discrepancy between waste paper collected, and Danish waste paper sent to Danish paper mills + net exports, may be due to stock enlargement, and it may be a consequence of applying different statistical sources and statement methods.

From 1997 to 1998 there was a decrease in the consumption of virgin paper. At the same time there was an increase in the amount of collected waste paper, leading to a collection rate of waste paper of 48 per cent in 1998.

The consumption of virgin paper per capita decreased a little in 1998 compared to 1997: 250 kg in 1998 against 259 kg in 1997. Furthermore, 120 kg paper and cardboard per capita were collected in 1998 against 112 kg in 1997.

Net exports of waste paper in 1998 amounted to 242,000 tonnes, which covers imports of a good 98,000 tonnes and exports of just above 339,000 tonnes.

Plastic recycling in Denmark amounted in 1999 to 38,000 tonnes, corresponding to an increase of 5,000 tonnes from 1998.

The waste fraction plastic covers both production waste and waste plastic packaging. Every year, detailed statistics are prepared for waste plastic packaging.

The 1998⁷waste plastic packaging statistics prepared by the Danish Waste Management Information Centre show that in 1998 22,500 tonnes of waste plastic packaging were reprocessed in Denmark. The major part of waste – 13,700 tonnes – were imported.

11,500 tonnes of waste plastic packaging were collected in Denmark. Of this, 2,600 tonnes were exported for recycling abroad.

Total collected amounts correspond to around 7 per cent of the total Danish consumption of plastic packaging. Waste plastic of the type polyethylene (PE) accounted for 80 per cent of collected amounts.

According to ISAG reports, recycling of bottles and glass from primary sources amounted to 122,000 tonnes in 1999. This is an increase of 18,000 tonnes compared to 1998.

By only including waste from primary sources, however, a complete picture of total material streams is not obtained. Of special importance is recycling of glass during which several collection and treatment steps have been passed.

As a consequence, the following description of total recycling of glass is based on Waste statistics for glass, bottles and cullets 1998 made by the Danish Waste Management Information Centre⁸.

Source: Glass, bottles and cullets 1998, Waste statistics. Danish Waste Management Information Centre.

The consumption of glass packaging has been on the increase throughout the 1990s, but has remained relatively stable in the period from 1995 to 1998.

Also collection and recycling of glass packaging have been increasing throughout the 1990s. Collected glass amounted in 1998 to 126,000 tonnes, which is 11,000 tonnes more than in 1997. In 1998, 118,000 tonnes were recycled, which is 10,000 tonnes more than in 1997.

This means that the collection in per cent of total consumption in 1998 reached 68 per cent – an increase of 7 percentage points compared to 1997. The rate of recycling of total consumption in 1998 reached 64 per cent, which is also an increase of 7 percentage points compared to 1997.

Bottles for beer and soft drinks manufactured for reuse are not included in this statement. Refillable glass bottles, on average, make 30 trips. If these bottles were manufactured as single-use bottles, it would give an increase in waste glass of around 310,000 tonnes.

Table 8 shows amounts of collected ferrous scrap, distributed on consignees. It is seen that in 1999, 965,000 tonnes of ferrous scrap were recycled, and this is 6,000 tonnes less than in 1998.

Table 8.
Recycling of ferrous scrap in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999. In '000 tonnes

Sources: (1) ISAG reports, (2) Information from the Association of Danish Recycling industries and other large scrap dealers. Remark that the statement used in table 8 is slightly different from the statement in table 5. For example, the correction for ferrous scrap removed from waste incineration plants has not been made, as this table shows the total balance for ferrous metals.

Total potential of ferrous scrap is not known precisely. Recycling industries normally estimate a recycling rate in excess of 90 per cent for ferrous scrap.

According to ISAG reports, the Danish Steel Works and other Danish foundries imported 230,000 tonnes of ferrous scrap in 1999, whereas scrap dealers imported 22,000 tonnes. Total imports thereby amounted to 252,000 tonnes of ferrous scrap, which is 10,000 tonnes more than in 1998.

Amounts of organic waste reprocessed through composting, wood chipping or biogasification are stated in Table 9.

Overall, there has been an increase in amounts of organic waste reprocessed: 153,000 tonnes more in 1999 than in 1998, corresponding to an increase of 17 per cent.

This increase is especially attributable to increasing amounts of garden waste (branches, leaves, grass etc.) for composting/wood chipping as well as increasing amounts of sludge for composting: an additional 83,000 tonnes and 77,000 tonnes respectively. Other organic waste and domestic waste for biogasification also increased: 37,000 and 5,000 tonnes respectively.

Table 9 Look here!

Quantities of bark/wood chips and compost removed from the plants do not reflect the quantities generated. This quantity should be considered as reflecting the quantity sold or delivered free.

It is seen from the table that amounts of sold/removed bark/wood chips decreased from 15,000 tonnes in 1998 to 11,000 tonnes in 1999. In return, the amount of sold/removed compost increased from 197,000 tonnes in 1998 to 249,000 tonnes in 1999.

3.7 Tyres

In 1995, the Minister for Environment and Energy entered an agreement with a number of organisations, on a take-back scheme for used tyres from cars, vans, and motorcycles.

The purpose of the agreement is to ensure collection and recovery of used tyres in Denmark. Landfilling is avoided and resource recovery ensured, whereby material recovery is prioritised to energy recovery.

The scheme started 1 April 1995 and is financed by a fee on tyres comprised by the agreement and marketed in Denmark.

As per 1 April 2000 the scheme was extended to cover tyres for motor vehicles.

According to the agreement, the target is a take-back rate of at least 80 per cent.

Table 10 shows that the 1999 collection rate reached 87.4 per cent, which is almost identical to 1998.

Table 10.
Take-back of car, van and motorcycle tyres. Tonnes

Source: Statement from Danish Environmental Protection Agency for the period 1.7.95 - 31.12.95 and reports from the Danish Tyre Trade Environmental Foundation for 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999. 2^nd half 1995 includes 1,000 tonnes collected in the first half of 1995, thereby increasing the collection rate.

⁴ The Danish Environmental Protection Agency does not make corrections in the ISAG database after final quality assurance and publication of data. If subsequently errors are found in the registers a note is entered into the database and deviations are explained in next year’s statistics.

⁵ Institutions/trade and offices

⁶ The statement is expected to be available by the end of 2000.

⁷ The 1999 statement is expected to be available by end 2000

⁸ As yet, the statement for 1999 is not available.

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