Copenhagen is introducing separate bins for used nappies in apartment courtyards and municipal nurseries, as part of a collection scheme launched on 19 October 2026. Around 50 million nappies are sent for incineration in the Danish capital every year, and the municipality wants to recover materials that would otherwise be burnt.
The bins are being delivered across the city until late November. The scheme initially covers apartment buildings with at least six children aged 0 to 4, provided they account for more than 3% of residents, as well as municipal childcare centres. The city estimates that about 60% of apartment buildings are covered by the roll-out. Residents must place used nappies in a tightly tied plastic bag before putting them in the new containers, which will be emptied weekly.
What happens to the collected nappies?
The nappies are intended for a new treatment plant in Hvidovre, operated by environmental services company Verdis. Although collection has already begun, the facility is scheduled to start operating in February 2027. The municipality says the process could recover up to 94% of nappy waste, including plastics for new products and biofibres that can be converted into biogas and fertiliser. Absorbent materials could also be reused in construction products.
Line Barfod, Copenhagen’s mayor for climate, environment and technical services (klima-, miljø- og teknikborgmester), said that recycling nappies instead of burning them could bring substantial climate benefits, particularly because the city has so many young children.
The municipality aims to collect 5,000 tonnes of nappy waste annually by 2029, when the scheme is fully implemented. From February 2027, families in detached houses with children under four will be able to opt in. Collections are also planned for municipal care homes and accommodation for older residents during 2027.
How Copenhagen already sorts household waste
In Copenhagen, waste sorting is already part of everyday life in many apartment blocks. Communal courtyards typically have containers for food waste, general waste, paper, cardboard, glass, metal and plastic. Food and drink cartons are collected together with plastic rather than cardboard. The city’s waste collection rules also provide for separate handling of small electronics, batteries and hazardous waste, while unwanted textiles can be taken to designated collection points. The precise arrangement depends on the building and the space available.
These arrangements are supported by municipal sorting guides and public collection facilities for waste that cannot be deposited in ordinary courtyard bins. Copenhagen also tested separate nappy collection in 2022. The new scheme extends that approach to a substantial share of the city’s apartment households, adding another material stream to an already extensive sorting system.
