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 transforming 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 connects improvements made at the brewery with broader packaging innovations. Among its standout developments are shifting from shrink-wrap multipacks to adhesive-based solutions and creating the Green Fibre Bottle prototype. These initiatives cut down on single-use plastics and explore renewable, paper-based options, demonstrating how beverage producers can rethink packaging to limit plastic use and open up new recycling pathways.
Maersk — As the world’s largest container shipping company headquartered in Denmark, Maersk integrates CSR and circular thinking in fleet design, fuels strategy, and logistics. Public commitments to reach net-zero emissions across operations by 2040 are backed by investments in vessel designs capable of using carbon-neutral fuels such as green methanol, plus trials of sustainable biofuels and optimization services that reduce fuel consumption and 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 major wind-turbine manufacturer, pursues circular product design by improving component durability, developing blade recycling solutions, and offering service‑and‑maintenance contracts that extend asset life. These measures reduce the need for virgin materials and improve resource efficiency across the wind industry value chain.
Grundfos — The pump manufacturer employs product-as-a-service approaches, remanufacturing initiatives, and spare-part take-back schemes to extend product lifespans. Through maintenance agreements and refurbished units, Grundfos reduces material use and demonstrates circular industrial practices in capital equipment.
Startups and social enterprises converting CSR into consumer-facing circularity
Too Good To Go — Established in Copenhagen, this platform links retailers with consumers to offer excess food at lower prices instead of letting it go to waste. The model illustrates how digital pairing tools and subtle behavioural cues can expand food-waste reduction efforts throughout urban retail networks.
WeFood and related social supermarkets — Initiatives that retrieve surplus or near-expiry food and sell it at low cost combine social impact with material efficiency. They reduce food waste, widen access to affordable food, and show how redistribution can be integrated into corporate and municipal waste strategies.
Design-driven startups — A diverse Danish design ecosystem supports circular consumer products that prioritize repairability, modularity, and recycled materials. These companies often collaborate with design schools and municipal pilots to validate new materials and 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 targets, including the well-known aim to achieve carbon neutrality for the city, have driven circular procurement, construction pilots for material reuse, and citywide waste-prevention programs. Public procurement is used as a lever to create markets for circular goods 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.
