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Sustainable holiday in Denmark
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If you want to consider the environment when travelling, there are plenty of options to choose from if you spend your holiday in Denmark. Green travel alternatives are available both within and outside the cities. There is a choice of environmentally accredited accommodation and when you feel hungry, you can visit an organic restaurant or shop for organic food which is available from most mainstream supermarkets and specialty shops. If you are looking for experiences, there is also plenty of opportunity for the environmentally conscious tourist; you can e.g. visit organic farms, wind turbine parks, independent eco-societies, and incineration plants or see examples of environmental reclamation, green city landscapes, get in touch with local environmental groups and much more.
 In Denmark, consideration for the environment forms a natural part of everyday life for many people. This among other things means that Denmark has an efficient waste incineration in which we exploit the energy content of plastic wastes etc. We separate the waste. We compost the wet, organic waste centrally or use it for gasification. We collect and burn or deposit environmentally damaging waste. We dispose of newspapers, magazines and cardboard in recycling containers. This also applies for some of our empty bottles; however, most bottles in Denmark are part of a returnable bottle system, which means that we pay a deposit on the bottles which is repaid once they are returned to the retailer.
 When travelling to and within Denmark, you can do your bit to help the environment; if you arrive by plane, we suggest you check if the airline has an environmental policy in place and whether they e.g. have launched a CO2 compensation scheme. British Airways and Scandinavian Airlines both have such measures in place, as do a number of other airlines. Travelling by train is a comfortable alternative to planes and cars and the CO2 emission is significantly lower per passenger, and Denmark offers an efficient and well maintained train network. As a matter of fact, Denmark has a well-developed public transportation system where even small villages are reachable by bus or telebus. There are city busses in all major cities, and Copenhagen also has the S-trains and the metro. On www.rejseplanen.dk you can get an overview of the public transportation schedules and travel plans in Denmark. You can also opt to do like the Danes; travel by bike. Copenhagen and Aarhus have free ”City bikes” for cycling within the cities, or you can rent a bike from one of the country’s many cycle rentals. Unlike many other capital cities, Copenhagen is a safe place for cycling and there is more than 300 km of cycle paths. Approximately 1/3 of the city’s population actually travels to work by bike regularly.
 When deciding on accommodation, you should keep an eye out for the environmental labels "The Green Key", "The Swan" or "The Flower". They indicate that the place is making an added effort to minimize environmental impact. You find a list of the hotels, hostels, campsites etc. that have been awarded ”The Green Key” on www.dengroennenoegle.dk, and on www.ecolabel.dk you find the accommodation places etc. that have been awarded the "Swan" or the ”Flower”. The Scandic Hotel chain has for more than 15 years voluntarily worked for the environment and health. As an example, they use nature materials in special environmental rooms and the restaurant serves organic food. – The Brøchner Hotel chain makes a special effort to avoid environmental impact and they have made initiatives to compensate the climate contribution you make as a traveller. – If you are on the look-out for a more organic concept, Hotel Guldsmeden in Aarhus and Copenhagen may just be the place. The organic concept applies to the spa as well as the food served, so it is possible to be organic on the inside as well as the outside. In addition to the above, you will find a large number of organic farms (click on the category Green living, choose the category Agriculture) that welcome overnight guests on ” Bed & Nature”. Here you can experience life on the farm and enjoy healthy and organic food. Some places offer free board and lodging if you help out on the farm.
 Denmark has a long tradition for producing organic and environmentally friendly food - and to a certain extent also biodynamic food. Many farmers, business organisations, environmental groups and critical consumers support the governmental organic label ”Ø” which promotes control, research and education within the field of ecology. Therefore, you should look for the ”Ø”-label when shopping. Denmark offers a range of biodynamic and organic places to eat. In Copenhagen there is e.g. BioM, Meyer’s deli cafés as well as a selection of organic cafes on Nørrebro. Aarhus, Aalborg and a number of other provincial towns also have exciting cafes which serve organic food. On the website eco-info.dk, you find a general overview with addresses to organic places to eat in Denmark. When it comes to beverages, it is possible to get Søbogaard’s organic juices and soft drinks almost everywhere in Denmark. But you should also ask for an organic Jacobsen Extra Pilsner from Carlsberg, or a Thy øko-Humle beer. On top of this, more than 10 Danish dairies produce organic milk, so just dig in. Organic – and most often also sustainable – coffee and the is also on the rise in many of the country’s cafes. Ask the staff about availability. CLIMATE+ RestaurantsApproximately 1/3 of our CO2-emmissions originate from the food we eat. You can lower your CO2-emmission by: • eating less meat • eating more fruit and vegetables • eating fruit and vegetables in season • avoiding food that is transported long distances (especially by plane) • avoiding foodwaste - dont buy more then you can use and reuse leftovers Some restaurants in Copenhagen serve a climate-friendly meal - a so-called CLIMATE+ Menu. List restaurants serving a CLIMATE+ menu.
 Many Danish towns have made – and still make - an added effort to help protect the environment. We suggest you contact the local Agenda 21 centre to learn more about these ”green” initiatives. The website eco-info.dk provides further information about the local Agenda 21 centres. A town which has made a particularly noticeable effort in the environmental field is Albertslund south of Copenhagen. The local Agenda 21 centre provides information about the many different environmental initiatives as well as a guide to nature and cultural experiences in the area. If you want to learn more about eco initiatives in the cities, you can search for projects or city ecology on www.eco-info.dk. If green roofs, environment in the inner city of Copenhagen or green plants in a concrete area are of particular interest, you can find addresses worth visiting on vegtech.dk. A region that profiles itself in the environmental area is the island of Samsø in Kattegat. On the island, which is self-sufficient in renewable energy, you can see solar/wood chip and straw powered district heating plants, wind turbine parks and solar cell production. The island is 100% self-sufficient in electricity from wind turbines and has reached almost 70% self-sufficiency in terms of heat consumption. You can read more about Denmark’s energy island Samsø on www.energiakademiet.dk. The municipality of Thisted in Northern Jutland is also a frontrunner within the field of renewable energy production. The municipality is self-sufficient in electricity from wind turbines and cater for 85% of the heat demand. Here, you can among other things see Denmark’s first geothermal plant, waste incineration, wood chip and straw plants and much more. Moreover, you can visit Denmark's first national park, National Park Thy. There is further information about the environmental initiatives in Thy on climate.thisted.dk.  The island of Lolland is also well worth a visit. The island is already more than self-sufficient in renewable energy, but makes a continuous effort to become the world's leading demonstration centre for renewable energy. Off the coast of Nysted, you can visit the world’s largest offshore wind turbine park, and you can visit the European Union’s only full-scale hydrogen energy testing facility. Soon also wave power, solar energy and geothermal energy will emerge as tourist attractions on Lolland. You can get more information about Lolland’s energy initiatives on www.lolland.dk (search for ”environment" or ”energy”) You can also visit one of the many, small eco societies established across the country, where you can gain first hand knowledge of sustainable construction and way of living.
There is a wide variety of "green" experiences in Denmark. Here are some examples:
- Visit an organic farm or an organic fruit grower. Opening hours and further information is available from www.okologi.dk.
- Visit an environmental building site, e.g. Stenløse Syd on Zealand, where you find Denmark’s largest development of low-energy houses. Or visit Herfølge near Køge, and explore the many different houses that have been built under the development of the Swan label standard for houses. - Ringgården outside Aarhus is also worth a visit. Here you can see examples of how to use new materials that maintain energy or solar cells, LED-lighting etc.
- If you want to learn more about renewable energy, ecology and climate, you can visit a museum or one of the permanent exhibitions focusing on these particular subjects. In the municipality of Thy in Northern Jutland is the Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy which has exhibitions and presentations and offers expert advice. – In Copenhagen, you can visit the Ecological Inspiration House. – For further inspiration see a list of Danish museums that deal with the subject ”ecology”.
- The open landscapes, beech forests, sandy beaches, meadow and fields all make it easy to gain nature experiences in Denmark. You can contact one of the country’s 300+ local nature guides if you want a guided tour, or participate in one of the many pre-organised nature guide.
Contact the local tourist office or Agenda 21 centre if you want further information or inspiration to "green" experiences in Denmark.
 There is also a wide variety of ”green” events in the different regions of Denmark: Participate in one of the so-called ” organic summer evenings” (website only in Danish) , where you gather organic vegetables and herbs which you prepare and eat in the company of the other participants. – Or experience one of the eco fashion shows and fashion fairs in Copenhagen . – Or participate in one of the many events in connection with ” Apple day” (website only in Danish), or take a baking class or a beer brewing class on Fuglebjerggård in Helsinge on Northern Zealand. If you like rock music AND you want to consider the environment, you can visit the Roskilde Festival with a good conscience because the festival has made a number of environmental initiatives over the years, and in 2009, there is a heavy focus on climate and sustainability. Furthermore, across the country it is possible to participate in alternative health fairs concentrating on nature healing, nature materials, de-tox, organic diet therapy etc. In 2009, Copenhagen hosts the UN’s climate summit ”COP15” – an event that will result in a large number of exhibitions, concerts and speeches across the country with a focus on the environment and climate issues. There is more information on the website www.cop15.dk.
 An obvious choice for an environmentally friendly and healthy active holiday in Denmark could be a cycling holiday. Distances are short and the hills (because there are no mountains!) are manageable. Moreover, you have more than 10,000 km sign-posted cycle routes, so it is safe and easy to travel Denmark by bike. You can read more about cycle holidays in Denmark. The very first sustainable mode of transportation would logically be by foot, and Denmark provides plenty and varied options for hikers - not least due to the fact that farmers, like the forest owners, have made otherwise closed areas available to hikers. On the website www.spor.dk, you can see a selection of some of the many routes (website only in Danish). You can also find suggestions on the Danish Ramblers' Association’s website. A trip of particular interest is the walk along the more than 1,000 year old Hærvej (the Danish Army Road) through Jutland. The sea surrounding Denmark also provides a temptation for activities, and most places are perfectly safe for a swim. Because despite intensive farming and many industrial enterprises, Denmark has succeeded in managing and reducing spill of waste and sewage water to such an extent that the Danish swimming waters are among the cleanest in Europe. In 2008, Danish beaches were awarded 216 ”Blue Flags”, the EU's environmental flag, as a testament to clean swimming waters. Even the water in Copenhagen’s harbour is so clean you can go for a swim.  Denmark has a very long coastline where kayaking and sailing in the inshore waters provides you with an opportunity to get close to bird life, fish and living harbour environments. At the more than 75 harbours that boast the ”Blue Flag”, you can enjoy the result of an extra effort to improve the harbour environment. During the summer season, a number of ”Blue Flag” activities including angling, games and tours of the local nature areas are available to families. You can also go canoeing or kayaking in the Danish streams and small rivers and enjoy the result of the many initiatives made to sustain the fish and bird population. If you want to play golf while still considering the environment, you can visit the eco golf course in Torup on Sealand. This is the first eco golf course in Denmark, but the Danish Golf Union has entered into an agreement on partial phasing out of pesticides on Danish golf courses in general.
 Denmark is in the lead when it comes to the average consumer's purchase of organic food. Since 2004, the sale of organic goods in Denmark has thus increased by almost 80%, reaching a total turnover of almost DKK4.5 billion in 2008. You find the organic products by looking for the government's ”Ø-label”. If you want biodynamic products, you should look for the ”Demeter-label”. Supermarket chains such as Kvickly, Brugsen and Netto have a decent range of organic products on the shelves, but they do not match the supermarket chain Irma, where an impressive 30% of turnover in 2007 derived from sale of organic products. Across the country, you also find supermarkets that only stock organic products, e.g. Egefeld with branches in Valby, on Frederiksberg and in Kolding. There are many smaller health food shops in Denmark where you - in addition to organic and biodynamic staple goods - can find more specific food products, health products and cosmetics. Freshly baked organic bread and cakes are available from several bakeries throughout the country, e.g. in chains such as Emmerys and Reinh van Hauen. If you prefer to buy directly from the producer, you can visit one of the country's 100+ farm shops (website only in Danish). Løgismose dairy has a branch in the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen where you can buy organic products. Or how about finding an organic butchers where you can taste cold meat cuts, sausages and other products from organic animals. On the website ecoweb.dk, there is a list of organic butchers in Denmark. Many places across the country, you can also experience organic market squares. Contact the local tourist office for more information.
If you are tempted by sustainable design, ecology and healthy materials, Denmark has a growing number of shops specialising in ”organic living” and wellness. The concept of ”Organic living” covers eco textiles, perfumes and skin care products as well as a long list of interior design products for kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms. The shops that focus on ”organic living” are first and foremost found in the cities - the website ecoweb.dk provides further information about where they are located under the category non-food shops. The nationwide high-street chain H&M offers a selection of eco clothing for children and grown-ups, but there are also several specialty shops with children’s clothing and unica design made from eco materials. On the website eco-info.dk (only in Danish), you find information about shops that sell eco clothes. If you are looking for products that are made from eco materials as well as being produced in a socially responsible manner, you should look for the Fair Trade label. Read more about Fair Trade in Denmark. When it comes to wellness products, you can among other places find organic perfumes, cosmetics and skin care products at the retail chain Matas, different health food shops and in specialty shops such as Pure Shop in Copenhagen.
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