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Waste management in Greenland: current situation and challenges
Rasmus Eisted1, Thomas H Christensen
1Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark. rae@env.dtu.dk
Summary
Greenland
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Waste Management Studies
- Arctic Sustainability
Background:
- Greenland's waste management relies on landfilling, incineration, and limited export.
- Data on waste generation and composition is scarce for its 56,000 inhabitants.
- Geographic and climatic challenges complicate waste handling in scattered settlements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize the current state of waste management in Greenland.
- To identify key challenges hindering effective waste management practices.
- To provide a baseline for future waste management improvements in the region.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing waste management practices in Greenland.
- Analysis of estimated waste quantities (approx. 50,000 tons annually).
- Identification of infrastructure limitations (landfills, incinerators, transport).
Main Results:
- Current waste management involves landfilling and incineration with basic technology.
- Significant data gaps exist regarding waste composition and actual generation.
- Inadequate infrastructure for gas and leachate collection at landfills.
- Limited flue gas cleaning technology in incinerators.
Conclusions:
- Improving Greenland's waste management requires addressing data scarcity and infrastructure deficits.
- Geographical isolation and climate present unique challenges for waste processing and recycling.
- Urgent need for enhanced waste management strategies to improve environmental protection.
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