Waste Incineration is a sub-sector in the Waste Sector. In the Danish emission inventory system emissions from waste incineration are treated individually according to source. Waste Incineration emissions include emissions from two main groups of sources;

• "Cremation of human corpses". Emissions from human cremations are SO₂, NO_X, non methane volatile organic carbon (NMVOC), CH₄, CO, biogenic CO₂, N₂O, particulate matter (PM), heavy metals (HM; As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), dioxins/furans (PCDD/F), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). 
• "Cremation of animal carcasses" includes animal cremations at pet crematories. Open burning of animal carcasses and incineration of livestock is illegal in Denmark and is not occurring. Emissions from pet cremations are SO₂, NO_X, NMVOC, CH₄, CO, biogenic CO₂, N₂O, NH₃, PM, HM (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn), HCB, PCDD/F, PAHs and PCBs. 

The greenhouse gas effect from waste incineration stems from CH₄ and N₂O emissions. The contribution to CO₂-eqv. emissions from the sum of CH₄ and N₂O is for the time-series 1990-2009 below 0.03 % of the total waste sector. The trend for the total emissions 1990 - 2009 from this source is increasing; compared to 1990 the 2009 emission is 45.5 % higher. This increase is almost entirely caused by the increase in animal cremation as this activity has risen with 793 % from 1990 to 2009

The most important pollutants in the waste incineration category are Hg and HCB. The waste incineration category makes up 9.2 % and 1.8 % of the national emission of Hg and HCB respectively.

In the source category of waste incineration, human cremation is the largest contributor to most emissions historically. But since animal cremation has increased more rapidly, this is now the largest source to emissions of compounds like NMVOC and particles.

Human cremation is the only source to Hg emissions in the waste incineration category. In 1980 97.8 % of the HCB emission stemmed from human cremation, this number has steadily decreased to 67.3 % in 2009 because of the strong increase in emissions from animal cremation.

The trend of both the Hg and HCB emissions are only dependant of the activity data and changes in activity data will be directly passed on to the emission trends.

The activity data for human cremation have been increasing since 1990; the increase is caused both by the increasing population and by the increasing ratio between number of human cremations and population. The same tendency is present with animal cremation as the population of pets is increasing and the cremation of pets has become more common.

Figure 1   Time-series of activity data for human and animal cremation for the years 1990-2009. Click the figure to view background data.

Emissions in the waste incineration category are calculated as activity data multiplied by the corresponding emission factor. The emission factors are based on international literature or in some cases default values given in international inventory guidelines (EMEP/EEA Emission Inventory Guidebook). Activity data are gathered directly from the companies or national associations.

For a more detailed description of the data and methodology for the inventory of Waste Incineration see the National Inventory Report, NIR.