UN Earth Summit+5 Success Stories - Local Agenda 21 - Refuse Plan: A Comprehensive Urban Waste Regulatory System

EARTH SUMMIT+5
Special Session of the General Assembly to Review and Appraise
the Implementation of Agenda 21
New York, 23-27 June 1997
SUCCESS STORIES FROM WESTERN EUROPE AND OTHER STATES

Refuse Plan: A Comprehensive Urban Waste Regulatory System This and other Local Agenda 21 succes story are provided by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI).

Location Copenhagen, Denmark.

Responsible organization City of Copenhagen

Description In the 1980s, waste management in Copenhagen consisted largely of landfilling and incineration. This changed in the late 1980s when the national government imposed a new law requiring all waste producers to pay a tax on the incineration and landfilling of waste. To avoid paying this tax, waste producers began to redirect contaminated materials to reuse and recycling options. The new law also radically changed the waste handling practices of businesses, waste transporters, and management firms. It effectively passed the regulatory control of urban waste management to municipalities. Given this power, the City of Copenhagen set out to improve the recycling and reuse options available to waste producers.
In 1990, Copenhagen adopted a refuse plan that specified long-term preventative measures to reduce pressure on the environment. The plan focused on using cleaner technology throughout a product's life cycle. It also identified reduction, reuse, and recycling as the preferred methods of waste management, followed by incineration of remaining combustible wastes for energy production. When the city passed its Greenhouse Gas Reduction Local Action Plan in 1994, its goals were so complimentary to those in the refuse plan that the two were integrated.
The city set up a number of recycling programs that help it implement the national waste mandate in a practical way. To avoid the high costs and contamination problems experienced by other municipalities, Copenhagen requires all materials to be source separated and has contracted private sector companies to collect recyclables and refuse. Interestingly, a study conducted by the city showed that most businesses incurred no extra costs as a result of the new requirements.

Issues addressed Cost-effective waste management system that stresses reduction and reuse and ensures the efficient disposal of non-recyclable and hazardous wastes; Long-term preventive and integrated solutions towards sustainable development.

Objectives To manage household, commercial and industrial waste to achieve recycling or composting 58%, incinerating 24% and landfilling 18% by 2001. An additional target is reduce methane (CH) emissions by 40% by diverting waste from landfill to recycling.

Results achieved The refuse plan met its goals three years after its implementation,. As a result, CH emissions fell by 42% and the city reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 10% of 1988 levels.

Lessons learned Many of the strategies and practices used in Copenhagen's program can be applied to other municipalities, keeping in mind the following points: being a large city, Copenhagen did not require municipal or regional partnerships to make the program feasible; regulatory control to monitor solid waste practices can reduce the responsibilities and expenses of the municipality, and still ensure an efficient waste management system; electronic databases provide an excellent way to monitor the production, transport, and treatment of municipal solid waste.

Financing Fifteen municipal staff coordinate the administration, planning, and inspection of solid waste in the city. Their annual budget for 1995 was $2 million USD. An additional $400,000 USD is needed yearly to collect recyclables and to run the municipal recycling and hazardous waste facilities. The budget is financed by a designated municipal tax for waste management that is collected once a year.

Contact Kim Maskell, Head, Waste Management Section, Agency of Environmental Protection, City of Copenhagen, Miljokontrollen, Flasketorvet 68, DK-1711 Copenhagen V, Denmark; Tel: +45-33/66-5866, Fax: +45-33/66-7133

Copyright © United Nations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Comments and suggestions: esa@un.org
1 November 1997

	Refuse Plan: A Comprehensive Urban Waste Regulatory System This and other Local Agenda 21 succes story are provided by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI).
	Location	Copenhagen, Denmark.
	Responsible organization	City of Copenhagen
	Description	In the 1980s, waste management in Copenhagen consisted largely of landfilling and incineration. This changed in the late 1980s when the national government imposed a new law requiring all waste producers to pay a tax on the incineration and landfilling of waste. To avoid paying this tax, waste producers began to redirect contaminated materials to reuse and recycling options. The new law also radically changed the waste handling practices of businesses, waste transporters, and management firms. It effectively passed the regulatory control of urban waste management to municipalities. Given this power, the City of Copenhagen set out to improve the recycling and reuse options available to waste producers. In 1990, Copenhagen adopted a refuse plan that specified long-term preventative measures to reduce pressure on the environment. The plan focused on using cleaner technology throughout a product's life cycle. It also identified reduction, reuse, and recycling as the preferred methods of waste management, followed by incineration of remaining combustible wastes for energy production. When the city passed its Greenhouse Gas Reduction Local Action Plan in 1994, its goals were so complimentary to those in the refuse plan that the two were integrated. The city set up a number of recycling programs that help it implement the national waste mandate in a practical way. To avoid the high costs and contamination problems experienced by other municipalities, Copenhagen requires all materials to be source separated and has contracted private sector companies to collect recyclables and refuse. Interestingly, a study conducted by the city showed that most businesses incurred no extra costs as a result of the new requirements.
	Issues addressed	Cost-effective waste management system that stresses reduction and reuse and ensures the efficient disposal of non-recyclable and hazardous wastes; Long-term preventive and integrated solutions towards sustainable development.
	Objectives	To manage household, commercial and industrial waste to achieve recycling or composting 58%, incinerating 24% and landfilling 18% by 2001. An additional target is reduce methane (CH) emissions by 40% by diverting waste from landfill to recycling.
	Results achieved	The refuse plan met its goals three years after its implementation,. As a result, CH emissions fell by 42% and the city reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 10% of 1988 levels.
	Lessons learned	Many of the strategies and practices used in Copenhagen's program can be applied to other municipalities, keeping in mind the following points: being a large city, Copenhagen did not require municipal or regional partnerships to make the program feasible; regulatory control to monitor solid waste practices can reduce the responsibilities and expenses of the municipality, and still ensure an efficient waste management system; electronic databases provide an excellent way to monitor the production, transport, and treatment of municipal solid waste.
	Financing	Fifteen municipal staff coordinate the administration, planning, and inspection of solid waste in the city. Their annual budget for 1995 was $2 million USD. An additional $400,000 USD is needed yearly to collect recyclables and to run the municipal recycling and hazardous waste facilities. The budget is financed by a designated municipal tax for waste management that is collected once a year.
	Contact	Kim Maskell, Head, Waste Management Section, Agency of Environmental Protection, City of Copenhagen, Miljokontrollen, Flasketorvet 68, DK-1711 Copenhagen V, Denmark; Tel: +45-33/66-5866, Fax: +45-33/66-7133