Luxembourgers produce 712 kilogrammes of waste per year
Jas Min, Unsplash
According to Eurostat, the average amount of municipal waste in the EU in 2023 is 511 kg per person. This is 4kg less than in 2022 (515kg) and 23kg less than in 2021 (534kg). Over the two years, the decrease was 4.3 per cent, but waste per person increased by 32 kg compared to 2013.
The difference between EU countries remains significant. The largest amount of waste per person is produced:
- Austria - 803 kg (data for 2022)
- Denmark - 802 kg (2022)
- Luxembourg - 712 kg
The lowest rates are recorded in:
- Romania - 303 kg (2022)
- Poland - 367 kg
- Estonia - 373kg
In 2023, 48% of municipal waste in the EU was recycled - that's 246kg per person. In comparison, in 2013 only 37.2% of waste was recycled (199 kg per person).
In 2013, more rubbish went to landfills - 142kg per person (29.7%). This means that the EU has significantly reduced landfilling over the last 10 years.
Although the total amount of waste in the EU is decreasing, Luxembourg is still among the top 3 countries with the highest amount of waste per capita. However, the increase in recycling and decrease in landfill is a positive trend that is helping the EU move towards a more sustainable waste management system.
