(27 March 2015) – In the European Union, the amount of municipal waste1 generated per person in 2013 amounted to 481 kg, down by 8.7% compared with its peak of 527 kg 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.
Of the 481 kg of municipal waste generated per person in the EU in 2013, 470 kg per person were treated. This treatment followed different methods: 31% was landfilled, 28% recycled, 26% incinerated and 15% composted. The share of municipal waste recycled or composted in the EU has steadily increased over the time period, from 18% in 1995 to 43% in 2013.
The treatment methods differ substantially between Member States. In 2013, a third or more of municipal waste was recycled in Slovenia (55%), Germany (47%), Belgium and Ireland (both 34%) and Sweden (33%).