Copenhagen starts diaper collection; processing plant due in February 2027
Bins are being installed in stages from 19 October through late November. The start of collection is separate from the processing plant opening.
Copenhagen began installing dedicated bins for used diapers on 19 October 2026, according to the municipality and its official waste service, Affald KBH. Neighbourhood rollout is expected to take six weeks, through late November.
Where bins are being installed
The first phase covers apartment buildings with at least six children aged 0–4 and municipal childcare facilities. The service estimates that this criterion covers about 60% of the city's apartment buildings. Residents are asked to use the dedicated bin once it reaches their courtyard, placing diapers in a securely knotted bag.
Detached houses with children under four are to be offered voluntary enrolment from February 2027. Bins for municipal care homes and elderly housing are also planned during 2027.
Collection does not mean the plant is already operating
The official timetable places the opening of the processing plant in Hvidovre in February 2027. The October bin rollout therefore does not establish that all collected material is already being recycled at the new facility.
The municipality describes recovery of plastics, cellulose and absorbent polymers, with some materials used for biogas and fertiliser. Its target of 5,000 tonnes annually from 2029 is a forecast for the fully developed scheme, not a current result. No quantified, already verified emissions reduction from the new operation is published.
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