Denmark has evolved into a global testbed where corporate social responsibility is transformed into commercially scalable circular‑economy strategies and sustainable design solutions, driven by public ambition, informed consumers, collaborative institutions, and inventive companies and startups that generate widely referenced and frequently emulated examples, while the Danish method weaves together product reengineering, fresh business models, infrastructure investments, and supportive policy frameworks to cut waste, extend material lifecycles, and reduce carbon emissions without sacrificing competitiveness.
Corporate leaders translating CSR into circular business models
LEGO — The LEGO Group has tied CSR to product innovation and supply-chain change. Its public target to transition core products and packaging to sustainable materials by 2030 is paired with investments in renewable energy and the creation of internal capabilities to test bio-based and recycled polymers. The company’s approach demonstrates how R&D, supplier engagement, and clear timelines can move a legacy manufacturer toward circular materials.
Carlsberg — Carlsberg’s sustainability program links brewery-level improvements with packaging innovation. Two notable innovations are the replacement of shrink-wrap multipacks with adhesive-based solutions and the development of the Green Fibre Bottle prototype. Those efforts reduce single-use plastics and test renewable, paper-based alternatives, showing how beverage manufacturers can redesign packaging to reduce plastic and enable new recycling streams.
Maersk — As the world’s largest container shipping company based in Denmark, Maersk weaves CSR and circular thinking in fleet design into its fuel strategy and logistics operations. Its publicly stated goal of achieving net‑zero emissions across all activities by 2040 is supported through investment in vessels engineered for carbon‑neutral fuels like green methanol, alongside ongoing tests with sustainable biofuels and advanced optimization solutions that cut fuel use and overall lifecycle emissions.
Ørsted — The energy company’s transformation from fossil fuels to offshore wind positions it as an example of corporate reinvention in service of a low-carbon, circular-energy system. Ørsted invests in scalable, long-lived infrastructure and in circularity for components through refurbishment, repowering, and extended-service models for turbines and foundations.
Vestas — Vestas, a leading wind‑turbine producer, advances circular product design by enhancing component longevity, creating blade‑recycling methods, and providing service and maintenance agreements that prolong asset lifespans, cutting reliance on virgin materials and boosting resource efficiency throughout the wind industry value chain.
Grundfos — The pump manufacturer uses product-as-a-service models, remanufacturing programs, and take-back for spare parts to maximize life cycles. By offering maintenance contracts and refurbished equipment, Grundfos lowers material consumption and exemplifies industrial circularity in capital goods.
Startups and social enterprises converting CSR into consumer-facing circularity
Too Good To Go — Founded in Copenhagen, this platform connects retailers and consumers to sell surplus food at reduced prices rather than discarding it. The model demonstrates how digital matchmaking and behavioural nudges can scale food-waste prevention across urban retail systems.
WeFood and related social supermarkets — By collecting surplus or soon-to-expire products and offering them at very low prices, these initiatives fuse social value with efficient resource use. They curb food waste, broaden access to budget-friendly groceries, and illustrate how redistribution can fit within both corporate and municipal waste-management approaches.
Design-driven startups — A varied Danish design ecosystem nurtures circular consumer goods that emphasize easy repair, modular construction, and the use of recycled materials. These firms frequently work with design schools and municipal pilot programs to test emerging materials and develop take-back systems.
Pilots focused on sustainable design and the built environment
Amager Bakke / CopenHill — The Copenhagen waste-to-energy plant, conceived to merge public recreation with efficient energy recovery, exemplifies integrated sustainable design. It brings together urban leisure features, sophisticated emissions management and an emphasis on reclaiming value from non-recyclable waste streams, demonstrating a practical connection between circular resource strategies and contemporary urban design.
Copenhagen’s climate and circular ambitions — Municipal goals, highlighted by the city’s widely recognized pursuit of carbon neutrality, have encouraged circular procurement, initiated construction pilots focused on material repurposing, and launched citywide efforts to reduce waste. Public procurement is leveraged to stimulate markets for circular products and services.
Danish Design Centre and design policy — Institutions encourage circular design approaches—such as designing for disassembly, using material passports, and extending product lifespan—so that circularity can be integrated from the earliest development stages. Training resources and practical guides support the shift from broad CSR intentions to concrete, applicable design actions.
