Denmark – new waste strategy 2005-2008

The Danish Government has published a new Waste Strategy for the period 2005-2008.



The strategy, which outlines the Government’s waste policy for the coming years, is founded on three cornerstones:



prevention of the resource loss and environmental load associated with waste decoupling of the increase in the amount of waste from economic growth the greatest environmental benefit for the investment through improved waste management quality and a more effective waste sector



As a novel initiative in the waste area, the Government’s strategy contains the first generation of a number of new waste indicators calculated for 22 materials in the waste. The indicators show where pressure on the environment is greatest, and hence can be incorporated in decisions on to what extent the waste should be recycled, incinerated or landfilled. The strategy contains over a hundred proposals for initiatives that could be started with a view to attaining the goals and objectives that characterize the strategy.



The strategy’s overall objective for the total waste volume in 2008 is:

65% recycling

26% incineration a maximum of

9% landfilling