Denmark waste management and recycling developments

Denmark is implementing various technological and structural changes to its waste management systems. In the Skanderborg and Odder municipalities, the company Renosyd has introduced a system where garbage trucks weigh waste during collection, allowing households to track their output and compare data with neighbors.

In Holbæk Municipality, new sorting rules have been established to optimize collection by combining certain materials, such as plastic with food/drink cartons, and paper with cardboard. This transition also includes the use of electric garbage trucks.

Copenhagen has launched a specialized diaper recycling program to reduce the volume of waste sent for incineration. Using a facility in Hvidovre, the city aims to convert 85 to 94 percent of the diaper mass into new materials, biogas, electricity, and heat. Copenhagen Councilor for Climate, Environment, and Technology Line Barfod stated that recycling diapers instead of burning them provides a “significant contribution to the climate.” The program is scheduled to expand to senior housing in early 2027, with a goal of collecting up to 5,000 tons of diapers annually by 2029.