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Material flow and waste accounts

How much waste do we generate in Denmark, and how much are we able to collect for recycling? How much material do we use for our production and consumption? The waste accounts show where different types of waste come from and how waste is treated. The material flow accounts show the Danish resource extraction, import and export of goods by type of material.

Selected statistics on Material flow and waste accounts

This page shows selected popular statistics on the subject of Material flow and waste accounts. In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data and compile your own statistics.

Waste generation in Denmark

Here you can see how much waste households and businesses produce. You can also find out whether the waste is collected for recycling, incineration or disposal. Waste amounts are excl. soil.

More about the figure
Last update
18.9.2024
Next update
20.1.2025
Source data

Waste accounts are based on data from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency. All enterprises collecting or treating waste are required to report electronically through a system called 'ADS'.

Household waste

Here you can see how much household waste that is collected for recycling and incineration. A small amount of waste is collected for disposal, which is not shown in the graph.
More about the figure
Last update
18.9.2024
Next update
20.1.2025
Source data

Waste accounts are based on data from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency. All enterprises collecting or treating waste are required to report electronically through a system called 'ADS'.

Composition of household waste

Here you see which types of waste are collected from households. Mixed municipical waste and waste suited for incineration also include waste that could have been sorted for recycling.
More about the figure
Last update
18.9.2024
Next update
20.1.2025
Source data

Waste accounts are based on data from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency. All enterprises collecting or treating waste are required to report electronically through a system called 'ADS'.

Material consumption per capita

Here you can see Danish material consumption per capita. Domestic material consumption (DMC) shows the weight of all materials we consume. DMC is calculated as resource extraction plus imports minus exports of materials.
More about the figure
Last update
20.3.2024
Source data

The material flow accounts are based on information from statistics on Danish resource extraction, such as agricultural statistics, forestry statistics, and statistics on the extraction of oil and natural gas, as well as other raw materials (sand, gravel, etc.). Additionally, data on imports and exports from the Foreign Trade in Goods statistics are used.

The model calculation underlying the material flow accounts measured in raw material equivalents is based not only on the mentioned source statistics but also on data on international trade provided by Eurostat.

Material consumption in Denmark

Here you can see Danish material consumption by material types. DMC shows the weight of all materials we consume and is calculated as resource extraction plus imports minus exports of materials. Biomass includes cereals, grazed biomass and wood, and non-metallic minerals include sand and gravel.
More about the figure
Last update
20.3.2024
Next update
20.3.2025
Source data

The material flow accounts are based on information from statistics on Danish resource extraction, such as agricultural statistics, forestry statistics, and statistics on the extraction of oil and natural gas, as well as other raw materials (sand, gravel, etc.). Additionally, data on imports and exports from the Foreign Trade in Goods statistics are used.

The model calculation underlying the material flow accounts measured in raw material equivalents is based not only on the mentioned source statistics but also on data on international trade provided by Eurostat.

On the statistics – documentation, sources and method

Gain an overview of the purpose, contents and quality of the statistics. Learn about the data sources of the statistics, the contents of the statistics and how often they are published.

See the documentation of statistics to learn more:

Detailed material flow accounts (physical supply-use tables)

The purpose of the detailed material flow accounts is to shed light on the type and quantity of all materials (natural resources, goods, residuals) linked to industries, private and government consumption, etc.

The accounts can be used for analysis of the physical proportions of resource use, output of goods and residuals, external trade, etc. Thereby they give information, which are useful in relation to analysis of circular economy, etc.

The accounts are available for 2018.

Economy-wide material flow accounts

The material flow accounts can be used to describe and understand the interaction between the country's economy and the consumption of natural resources. In the material flow accounts, the weight of the materials used in the country's economy as a whole is calculated. Additionally, the total amount of resources globally extracted to produce the materials and goods used in the economy is estimated using raw material equivalents. Material flow accounts measured by weight have been compiled since 2014 and contain published data from 1993 onwards. Material flow accounts measured in raw material equivalents are available from 2008 onwards.

Environmental Multiplier Tables

Dissemination of environmental multipliers is a service for users interested in the interaction between the environment and the economy. The multipliers connect environmental statistics with national accounts statistics at a detailed level and provides a picture of the effects that changes in economic final demand have on selected environmental variables. The environmental multipliers are aggregated measures of the total environmental effect on industries of specific changes in final demand in terms of waste generation, water consumption, generation of waste, CO2 emissions or other impacts.

Waste Accounts

Waste accounts record how much waste is generated in different parts of the economy, what kind of waste it is and how it is treated. Imports and exports of waste are also covered. The waste accounts build on data from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency and were published for the first time in 2015. Municipal waste by municipality, treatment form and waste type is compiled in 2023.

Additional documentation

Need more data on Material flow and waste accounts?

You can find more data in the Statbank. For example, more detailed figures on construction waste and soil, import and export of waste and detailed material flow accounts.

 

Packaging and circular economy

Statistics Denmark has compiled a packaging flow account for Denmark, including flows of packaging and waste. The project is co-financed by Eurostat.

Accounts for Danish Packaging Flows (pdf)

Statistics Denmark’s plastic flow account describes flows of plastics in the Danish economy, including plastic products and plastic waste treatment. The project is co-financed by Eurostat.

Accounts and Indicators for Danish Plastic Flows (pdf)

Contact

Sara Elisabet Svantesson
Phone: +45 39 17 30 66