In 2024, Cyprus recorded an increase in the amount of municipal waste per person, reaching 688 kg, up from 661 kg in 2023 and 626 kg in 2015, according to data published by Eurostat on Monday.
According to Eurostat, in 2024 the amount of municipal waste generated per person in the EU reached 517 kg, an increase of 6 kg compared with 2023 (511 kg). Compared with 2014, the amount increased by 38 kg, or 8%.
Eurostat notes significant differences among EU member states. The highest levels of municipal waste per person were recorded in Austria, with 782 kg per person (2023 data), Denmark with 755 kg, and Belgium with 699 kg. Conversely, the lowest amounts were recorded in Romania, with 305 kg per person (2023 data), Estonia with 375 kg, and Poland with 387 kg.
Eurostat also reports that since 2014, the amount of municipal waste per person has increased in 20 EU countries. The largest increases were recorded in Belgium (+274 kg), Czechia (+228 kg), and Austria (+217 kg). By contrast, the largest decreases were observed in the Netherlands (-54 kg), Denmark (-53 kg), and Finland (-25 kg).
Regarding recycling, Eurostat states that in 2024, an average of 248 kg of municipal waste per person was recycled in the EU. This corresponds to a recycling rate of 48.1% of the total waste generated, compared with 48.0% in 2023 (246 kg per person), and a marked improvement over 2014, when the recycling rate was 43.0%, or 208 kg per person.
CNA