(25 March 2016) – In the European Union, the amount of municipal waste generated per person in 2014 amounted to 475 kg, down by 10% compared with its peak of 527 kg per person in 2002.
The share of municipal waste recycled or composted in the EU has steadily increased over the time period, from 17% in 1995 to 44% in 2014.
With less than 300 kg per person, Romania, Poland and Latvia had the lowest amounts of waste generated in 2014, followed by the Czech Republic and Slovakia (both just over 300 kg per person).
At the opposite end of the scale, Denmark (759 kg per person) had the highest amount of waste generated in 2014, well ahead of Cyprus, Germany and Luxembourg with lower amounts but above 600 kg per person.
The treatment methods differ substantially between Member States. In 2014, almost half of municipal waste treated was recycled in Slovenia (49%) and Germany (47%).