Government

EU waste generation drops

Residents of the European Union (EU) generated 475 kilogrammes per person in 2014, 44 per cent of which was recycled or composted, according to a report published yesterday (30 March) by Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU.

This figure is down by 10 per cent compared with its peak of 527kg per person in 2002. Since 2007, the generation of municipal waste per person has constantly decreased in the EU to below its mid-1990s level, according to the figures.

Of the 475 kg of municipal waste generated per person in the EU in 2014, 465 kg per person were treated. This treatment followed different methods: 28 per cent was recycled and another 28 per cent landfilled, 27 per cent incinerated and 16 per cent composted. The share of municipal waste recycled or composted in the EU has steadily increased over the time period, from 17 per cent in 1995 to 44 per cent in 2014.

EU waste generation drops

The data shows significant variation in waste generation across the EU, ranging from 254kg per person in Romania (based on 2013 data) to 759kg per person in Denmark. The Danish figure is more than 20 per cent higher than the second highest per capita generator Cyprus (626kg). Germany (618kg) and Luxembourg (616kg) also ranked highly according to the figures.

Poland (272kg) and Latvia (281kg) reported the second and third lowest waste generation per head. The UK recorded a figure of 482kg per person, right on the European average. In the release accompanying the figures, Eurostat notes that different coverage of municipal waste explains part of the differences between member states.

The treatment methods also differ substantially between member states. In 2014, almost half of municipal waste treated was recycled in Slovenia (49 per cent) and Germany (47 per cent). Composting was most common in Austria (32 per cent), followed by the Netherlands (27 per cent) and Belgium (21 per cent). Together, recycling and composting accounted in 2014 for nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of waste treatment in Germany, followed by Slovenia (61 per cent), Austria (58 per cent), Belgium (55 per cent) and the Netherlands (51 per cent).

On the other hand, at least half of the municipal waste treated in 2014 was incinerated in Estonia (56 per cent), Denmark (54 per cent), Finland and Sweden (both 50 per cent), while the highest shares of municipal waste landfilled were recorded in Latvia (92 per cent), Malta (88 per cent) and Croatia (83 per cent).

According to the stats, of the UK’s 482kg per person, 473kg was treated. Treatment consisted of 28 per cent recycling, 17 per cent composting, 27 per cent incineration and 28 per cent landfill.

EU waste generation drops

The full Eurostat report can be found on the body's website