Kirsten Brosbøl, Danish Minister for the Environment, is launching a new Waste Prevention Strategy “Denmark without Waste II” (”Danmark uden affald II”). The Strategy will make it easier and more attractive to avoid waste and to throw away less. This will give a boost to the environment and corporate competitiveness, and it will put more money in Danish pockets.

Denmark is one of the highest per capita users of resources in the world, and it is one of the largest producers of waste. Danes throw away food that could have been eaten, composite packaging, which is hard to recycle, electronic equipment, which still works, and clothes, which are not worn out. This is a waste of resources and bad for Danes’ personal and corporate finances.

Therefore the Danish Minister for the Environment, Kirsten Brosbøl, is today launching the Government strategy to prevent waste; Denmark without Waste II. With 72 initiatives, the Strategy will encourage Danish enterprises and consumers to avoid and reduce waste.

“We need a Denmark without waste. According to the Global Footprint Network think tank, on 19 August last year, globally we had used the same amount of resources, as it would take the world a whole year to regenerate. For the rest of the year we were drawing on an overdraft and eating away at the resources available for future generations. We have to avoid and reduce waste to secure both the environment and the economy for the future,” said Kirsten Brosbøl.

The Strategy initiatives aim at both consumers and enterprises, and they have been divided into five focus areas; food waste, building & construction, clothes & fabrics, waste electronic equipment, and packaging. Among the initiatives are four partnerships on food waste, sustainable building, longer-lifetime clothes and plastic packaging. The partnerships are to involve the entire value chain in avoiding waste; from producer to retailer to consumer. Moreover, the Government will look at whether some of the rules can be made simpler so that enterprises can become better at exploiting their resources.

Read the full story at stateofgreen.com
Photo: Mads Armgaard/VisitDenmark.com