Helsingør Municipality continues to scale its household recycling performance — and for the first time, expanded polystyrene (EPS) is now formally included in its recycling system. In 2024, local waste authority Forsyning Helsingør added EPS (known locally as flamingo) to the accepted material streams at two key municipal recycling centres.
Recycling infrastructure expands
According to the utility’s 2024 figures, Helsingør now recycles 52.9% of all household waste, up from 51.4% the year before. This progress reflects both improved sorting behaviour and the addition of new recyclable fractions, including textiles, glass wool, and EPS.
EPS is accepted at:
- Skibstrup Genbrugsplads
- Cirklen – Helsingør Genbrugsplads
These centres are now equipped to sort and forward clean white EPS for recycling — removing it from the incineration stream and aligning the system with Denmark’s 2035 goal of 65% real recycling of household waste.
Results and impact
EPS quantities are not reported separately in the article, but the 2024 system overall resulted in:
- 1,000 tonnes less waste sent to incineration than in 2023
- An estimated 1,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided
- Growing participation from apartment blocks and households — ~3,000 new households began source separation
These outcomes demonstrate that material inclusion matters. By formally accepting EPS as a recyclable material, Helsingør opens a new recovery pathway and aligns with circular economy ambitions embedded in its local plan.
Why it matters
EPS is lightweight and high-volume — making it visible but often uncounted in conventional municipal recycling metrics. Including EPS in established sorting systems like Helsingør’s:
- Unlocks circular potential in a previously incinerated stream
- Builds public awareness through operational visibility
- Supports national compliance targets for municipal recycling
The utility continues to support behaviour change through public education campaigns and simplification of sorting schemes — with a clear message that flamingo can now be recycled if delivered clean and source-separated.
FACT BOX
| Item | Value |
| Location | Helsingør, Denmark |
| Launch (EPS inclusion) | 2024 |
| Sites involved | Skibstrup and Cirklen recycling centres |
| Total household recycling rate | 52.9% in 2024 |
| CO₂ avoided | ~1,000 tonnes compared to 2023 |
| EPS type accepted | Clean white EPS (flamingo) |
| Operator | Forsyning Helsingør |
Source:
“Genanvendelsen af affald slår ny rekord,” FH.dk, 12 February 2025
https://www.fh.dk/nyheder/genanvendelsen-af-affald-slaar-ny-rekord
