Summer is here, and that means this year’s shipment of so-called “marshmallows”—compressed and bagged combustible waste—is well underway.
A total of 960 marshmallows—equivalent to 659 metric tons of waste—have already been shipped from Ilulissat aboard the MV Vestborg. The ship is transporting the waste to Sisimiut, where it will be used to generate energy at the incineration plant.
Throughout the summer, combustible waste will be shipped out of Upernavik, Uummannaq, and Ilulissat on an ongoing basis to reduce the amount of waste stored at the landfills. Employees at the landfill in Ilulissat can pack up to 100 marshmallows a day.
In addition, large quantities of scrap iron will be shipped to Iceland for recycling. Scrap iron from Ilulissat, Upernavik, and Uummannaq will be shipped directly, while scrap iron from Qaanaaq will be packed into containers and transported by Royal Arctic Line.
The goal is to remove the large quantities of scrap iron that have accumulated at the dumps over many years, so that all of the cities’ landfills can gradually be cleared of scrap.
Employees at Avannaata Kommunia are currently preparing the materials for shipment so that the work can be carried out efficiently during the summer season.
Last year, Avannaata Kommunia shipped a total of 4,000 metric tons of combustible waste from Upernavik, Uummannaq, and Ilulissat.
