Waste from households and industries contains valuable as well as environmentally harmful substances. Many sites in Denmark are contaminated due to past activities. The aim therefore is to bring waste volumes and soil contamination under control.
Every Dane produces about seven kilos of waste each day all year round, which corresponds to about 14 million tonnes annually. This waste has to be collected and treated using environmentally and economically appropriate measures. At the same time we must prevent society from producing too much unnecessary waste. The Danish EPA sets out the overall framework for waste, and the municipalities decide how to organise local waste systems close to users.
About 40,000 sites are contaminated in Denmark because they have had petrol gas stations, dry cleaners or other polluting industries located on them. The Danish EPA is responsible for drawing up guidelines for remediation, so that contaminated sites do not cause danger to human health or contaminate our drinking water. Municipalities manage the regulations on movement of soil and contact with the public, while the regions are responsible for remediation etc. of contaminated soil.
Waste releases resources and provides energy In Denmark, by far the majority of waste is managed appropriately from an environmental perspective. We recycle large parts of waste to reduce our resource consumption, and we utilise a very great proportion of the energy in the remaining waste through incineration, except for a small amount which has to be landfilled. With the present economic growth continued focus on waste and resources is paramount.
The government's goal is that, in 2008, Denmark will recycle 65 per cent, incinerate 26 per cent, and landfill 9 per cent of its waste volumes. In 2005 the figures were 67 per cent, 26 per cent, and 7 per cent.
We must protect the soil Soil contamination can hamper the proper use of a building, or it may cause the contamination of groundwater resources used for drinking water. Therefore, the Danish EPA sets criteria for when the soil can be characterised as contaminated, along with principles for how soil contamination is to be investigated and remedied.
The Danish EPA is responsible for the technology pool of about DKK 5 million annually to support the development and testing of technology used in soil and groundwater remediation.
Important international collaboration A number of EU directives and other international agreements regulate the waste area. The Danish EPA works internationally on behalf of the government to ensure appropriate waste treatment of e.g. batteries and old ships, including in cases where hazardous waste crosses borders. Other areas include the EU thematic strategy on the prevention and recycling of waste and the thematic strategy for soil protection.
Challenges in the long term There continues to be a great challenge in minimising environmental impacts from waste. The rising waste volumes must be curbed and we must use and continuously develop the environmentally and economically best waste treatment. The government's vision is to reorganise the waste sector to make it more efficient, administratively simple, and innovative. We must work towards common EU regulation which is aimed at areas where the environmental and resource-related problems are greatest. At the same time, we must acquire better knowledge about the environmental impacts of waste generation and treatment, as well as the resulting economic consequences.
In the area of soil contamination, the job is to secure the groundwater against contamination and to prevent health-related problems due to contaminated soil. The effect of contaminated soil on surface water, protected species and natural habitats will have to be clarified. The Danish EPA is working with simple and environmentally appropriate management of soil, by mapping existing soil contamination and by continuing the clean-up. Focus is on the large, cost-intensive soil contamination cases such as Cheminova and Kærgaard Plantage.
Guidelines on environmental liability implement the Minister for the Environment’s commitment to the Danish Parliament's Environment and Regional Planning Committee regarding guidelines about the content of the environmental damage concept which is central to Denmark’s implementation of the EU Environmental Liability Directive.
The WEEE Order, which implements the EU WEEE Directive, lays out the Danish rules for waste from electrical and electronic equipment.
The Danish Statutory Order on Batteries, which implements the EU Battery Directive, lays lays out the Danish rules for batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators.