Global waste levels are increasing and are expected to reach 2.59 billion tonnes in 2030, up 29% from 2016. Today, merely 19% of all waste is recycled or composted. The rest is incinerated (11%), sent to landfills (37%) or openly dumped (33%).
With increasing waste levels also comes increasing carbon emissions from incineration and methane emissions from the decay of organic waste. In total, solid waste is estimated to account for about 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Insufficient waste management is a missed opportunity to extract materials and energy from the valuable resources in waste. In Ørsted, we see waste from households and industrial production as an important resource.
With increasing waste levels also comes increasing carbon emissions from incineration and methane emissions from the decay of organic waste. In total, solid waste is estimated to account for about 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Insufficient waste management is a missed opportunity to extract materials and energy from the valuable resources in waste. In Ørsted, we see waste from households and industrial production as an important resource.
Partnering with industry leaders to fuel a circular economy
Inaugurated in 2018, the Kalundborg industrial biogas plant in Denmark is our first co-owned industrial waste plant. Kalundborg Bioenergi handles industrial waste from two large corporate partners, Novo Nordisk and Novozymes. The plant converts residual waste from insulin and enzyme production to biogas, which is sent into the gas grid, replacing natural gas.
Making energy of household waste with Renescience
The concept behind our waste treatment technology, Renescience, is to prevent household waste from going to landfills by transforming the waste into energy and recyclable materials. Renescience is an innovative technology in the sense that it has the potential to process waste into biogas and recyclable materials, such as metals and plastics, through enzyme treatment and mechanical sorting.
Download and learn
Read more about our waste-to-energy technology on pages 17-18 in the sustainability report.