CPH – Copenhagen Airport

A custom‑designed waste solution will help CPH achieve proper sorting among travelers

Copenhagen Airport is one of Northern Europe’s largest transport hubs with around 29 million passengers annually. The airport opened in 1925 and is Denmark’s largest airport with more than 2,700 employees.

In recent years, Copenhagen Airport has seen an increase in the number of passengers, partly due to a growing desire to travel both in Denmark and globally. Many passengers mean a lot of waste, and therefore it is important to have clear and user‑friendly waste solutions so passengers can easily dispose of their waste — and, not least, sort it correctly.

The Challenge

How do you get around 2.4 million monthly travelers of different nationalities to sort their waste?

It’s a challenge you can truly feel. But Copenhagen Airport is ready to take it on. The many passengers with different backgrounds are not familiar with Danish waste sorting. Therefore, they tested various solutions to achieve effective waste sorting and ended up choosing a Bica waste solution.

One of the reasons was the custom‑designed waste inlet on the front of the bin, which proved to improve sorting quality. This is because passengers spend a little more time considering which bin their waste belongs in, ensuring more correct sorting. They also chose Bica because the solution supports the operational staff’s working positions during emptying.

From waste to resources

"The waste solution needed to be user‑friendly for our passengers, fit well into the airport, and function in daily operations now and in the future. That’s why we chose a Bica solution."

Helle Holm Clausen, Senior Project Manager, CPH

The Solution

Custom‑developed inlet for refundable bottles and cans

It was important for CPH to have a waste sorting solution that was simple for passengers to use and easy for operational staff to handle. The solution became 186 waste bins placed in sets of three in the airport’s shopping center located airside after security. Here, waste is sorted into residual waste, plastic, and bottles/cans. Food waste is not sorted due to regulations from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration. The inlet for deposit bottles and cans was custom‑designed because many passengers are not familiar with the Danish deposit system, and therefore the difference between bottles/cans and other plastic needed to be made very clear.

Practical bag holder with tilt function

The waste bin was developed with a bag holder featuring a tilt function to give operational staff the best working conditions, as the bins are emptied up to five times a day. The tilt function makes it easy to change the bag without heavy lifting or awkward positions. Another important factor was that Bica’s waste bins have no sharp edges or visible hinges.

The capacity of 90 liters per bin was also a decisive factor, ensuring that staff would not need to change bags more frequently than before. The waste solution was also designed without a lock — a deliberate decision. Time is precious when many bins need to be emptied, so the work should not be made more complicated for the staff.

From waste to resources

"We cannot expect our international passengers to know the Danish deposit system. Therefore, it was incredibly important to make the differences clear on the inlet to achieve correct sorting."

Helle Holm Clausen, Senior Project Manager, CPH

Waste sorting in the airport

Custom‑designed waste bins:

  • Bag holder with tilt function for ergonomic emptying
  • Front door to avoid heavy lifting
  • Drip tray for excess liquid
  • Opens quickly without a key
  • Large capacity for fewer emptyings
  • No sharp edges or visible hinges

From waste to resources

"It was crucial for us that the operational staff could handle the waste bins easily and efficiently while maintaining a good physical working environment."

Mads Nordby, Area Manager, Logistics & Waste Management, CPH

Future Expectations

Waste solutions must contribute to sustainable development in the airport

The new waste sorting systems contribute positively to the airport’s sustainable development, and both passengers and staff have responded very well to the sorting system. The biggest challenge is that waste sorting takes up space, and there is competition for both space and attention in a large airport like CPH. Despite this, waste sorting — including reuse and recycling — is an area they will focus heavily on in the coming years and continue to optimize.

From waste to resources

"Bica was very accommodating in custom‑developing a waste solution for us, as their standard products did not match our needs."

Helle Holm Clausen, Senior Project Manager, CPH

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