Several municipalities are providing their citizens with bins for organic waste, and they have been received with open arms. A survey from the Environmental Protection Agency, shows that Danes have a very positive attitude towards waste sorting. 88% of those who have the opportunity to sort their organic waste are satisfied with the system.

-In the places where the system has been implemented, the users have welcomed it as a way to sort their organic waste. It is paramount that citizens are on board with the idea in order for waste sorting to be successful, says Nis Christensen, Head of Office in the Environmental Protection Agency’s department for Cicular Economy and waste.

However, it is far from everyone who has the oppportunity to sort their organic waste. The survey shows that 7 out of 10 are not able to sort their organic waste. Among those people, half of them would like to have the opportunity.

In general, a lot of people in Denmark are positive towards waste sorting, among other reasons due to concerns for the environment. Around 6 out of 10 consider it necessary to sort our waste in order to protect the environment, and just over a third would like more opportunities for waste sorting.

Nevertheless, a few people find it a nuisance to have different containers. 15% of the people included in the survey said that waste sorting is inconvenient, however most of them accept it, since only 3% would want to lose the containers if it meant that they had less opportunities for waste sorting.

Each person in Denmark produces around 593 kg of waste annually. A survey from Copenhagen shows that biowaste accounts for more than 40% of household waste. The organic waste that is sorted from the households is transported to biogas plants where it is converted into environmentally friendly fuel.

-Related news: New Efforts to Sort Organic Waste in Copenhagen

Facts about the survey
-The numbers come from a report produced by Epinion for the Environmental Protection Agency that will be published at the end of September. The survey is based on responses from 1055 Danish citizens.

-29% of the people in the survey are currently able to sort their organic waste. Of those people, 88% responded that they are satisfied with the system.

-Among the 71% who are not able to sort their waste, half of them wish they had the opportunity to do so.

-35% of the people in the survey would like to have more opportunites to sort their waste, while 3% would like to have fewer.

-Waste statistics for 2015 showed that each person in Denmark produces 593 kg of waste annually. Another survey from 2016 of household waste in Copenhagen showed that biowaste accounts for more than 40% of the content.

-Related news: New Report: Danes Recycle More Waste

Source: Environmental Protection Agency