The Danish Waste Strategy has three important aspects: Resource policy, climate policy and protection of environment and human health.
The overall aim of the Danish Waste Strategy 2009-12 is to recycle at least 65 % of the total waste and to landfill at the most 6 % of the total waste amounts in 2012. In Denmark we have reduced the waste of re-sources going to landfills significantly. The challenge now is secure less waste and at the same time to develop new technologies which can utilize the materials in the waste.
Therefore, the Waste Strategy has two new important activity areas:
The strategy is inspired by "cradle to cradle" thinking with focus on the lifecycle of products.
Waste prevention will be promoted through increased attention on reuse, sale, exchange, sharing, repair and less wasting. Waste prevention will be promoted in households as well as in businesses, and reduction of food waste will get special attention.
The strategy will also ensure recovery of the resources ending up in the waste stream, through new ways of recycling or energy recovery. New ways of managing specific waste streams like shredder waste, wings from demolished wind mills, residues from waste incineration, and organic waste from enterprises will be developed.
Waste Prevention Waste Prevention is the highest level in the waste hierarchy and hereby the first priority. By waste prevention we save resources – by decrease of the direct waste generated by the consumer and by reducing the hidden resource consumption and waste generation in the entire value chain from raw material production through industrial production, distribution and use of the product.
The waste prevention initiatives in the Waste Strategy '10 cover the following:
See the statutory orders