Case
Waste management
AffaldPlus is a Danish waste treatment facility that handles waste from six municipalities on Sealand; Faxe, Næstved, Ringsted, Slagelse, Sorø and Vordingborg. AffaldPlus is responsible for collecting and treating waste from 315.000 residents and +30.000 companies.
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Addressing the urgent action needed to accelerate a circular economy, AffaldPlus has found creative ways to improve local citizen’s engagement in recycling.
The average Dane generates about 844 kilo of household waste annually. This makes Denmark the country in Europe that generates the most waste per capita. The Danish government has created numerous initiatives and regulations to incentivise efforts supporting the reuse and recycling of waste. Denmark has implemented a waste management plan with an ambition to make the waste sector climate neutral by 2030.
AffaldPlus has made several initiatives in order to contribute to the goal of the waste sector becoming climate neutral by 2030. One of their main focuses has been on increasing local citizen engagement and thereby increasing the amount of waste being reused and recycled.
AffaldPlus currently operates 19 recycling stations, where citizens sort their waste into more than 50 fractions. To assist the citizens sorting their waste correctly, signs with icons and text is placed in front of each container.
Furthermore, AffaldPlus has seven second-hand shops where waste that is in a good condition, like clothes, furniture etc., is sold. Thereby resued.
Lastly, AffaldPlus has established an educational centre, Yderzonen (The Outer Zone), where school classes, companies etc. can gain a better understanding of sustainability, innovation and development when it comes to waste handling. A visit at ‘The Outer Zone’ is created as an expedition, where the students are led through a creative universe made of the recycled materials. There is a focus on ‘hands-on’ and ‘minds-on’ approach, thus giving the students a unique understanding of waste, recycling, ressource, energy and water utility.
The efforts at AffaldPlus has resulted in more than 40,000 tons of household materials from the six municipalities being reused annually. This contributes to a total saving of 27,000 ton of CO2 emissions per year, which is equivalent to the total emissions of 1700 average Danish households.
With more than 5,000 students visiting the education centre yearly, it is expected that the municipalities will be even better at recycling as every family member, no matter age, understands the value of waste.
