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Recycling plays a crucial role in reducing the consumption of primary resources and mitigating the environmental impact of waste. While the average European Union (EU) citizen generated 4.8 tonnes of waste in 2020, only 38 percent was recycled.
Some European countries have made significant progress in waste management and are at the forefront of recycling efforts.
In 2020, the European Union (EU) faced a significant challenge in waste management, with a total waste generation of 2,154 million tons, equivalent to 4,815 kg per person. Understanding the sources of this waste is crucial to implementing effective waste management strategies.
According to Eurostat, in 2020 a staggering 1,971 million tonnes of waste were treated in the EU. It is important to note that this figure excludes exports and includes imports, so it is not compared to the amount of waste generated within the block. Over the years, the EU has witnessed a remarkable change in waste treatment methods, with an increasing emphasis on recovery.
The proportion of waste treatment in the EU has experienced a positive trajectory, going from 45.9% in 2004 to 59.1% in 2020. This indicates a significant increase in attention to the recovery of valuable resources from waste. Within the field of waste treatment, recycling plays a fundamental role. In 2020, approximately 39.9% of waste treated in the EU was recycled, contributing to a more sustainable and circular economy.
List of European countries recycle most
| Countries | 2004 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 56.4 | 69.6 | 71.1 |
| Austria | 57.4 | 62.3 | 62.3 |
| Slovenia | 20.4 | 59.3 | 60. |
| Netherlands | 46.9 | 56.9 | 57.8 |
| Luxembourg | 41.5 | 52.8 | 55.3 |
| Belgium | 53.5 | 52.3 | 53.3 |
| Italy | 17.6 | 51.4 | 51.4 |
| Czechia | 5.5 | 45.4 | 49.6 |
| Lithuania | 1.9 | 45.3 | 48.9 |
| Denmark | 41 | 45 | 45.1 |
| France | 29 | 42.7 | 44.3 |
| Slovakia | 6.1 | 42.2 | 44.1 |
| Finland | 33.6 | 41.6 | 44.1 |
| Ireland | 29.5 | 40.4 | 43.3 |
| Latvia | 4.4 | 39.7 | 40.8 |
| Poland | 4.9 | 38.7 | 40.3 |
| Sweden | 43.9 | 38.3 | 39.5 |
| Spain | 30.9 | 36.4 | 38.2 |
| Bulgaria | 17.2 | 34.6 | 37.1 |
| Hungary | 11.8 | 32 | 36.7 |
| Croatia | 3.2 | 29.5 | 34.9 |
| Estonia | 24.8 | 28.9 | 34.3 |
| Portugal | 13.5 | 26.5 | |
| Greece | 10.1 | 21 | |
| Cyprus | 3.2 | 16.6 | |
| Romania | 1.1 | 13.7 | |
| Malta | 6.3 | 10.5 | |
| EU-27 | 31.8 | 48.6 | 49.6 |
| Switzerland | 48.7 | 52.8 | |
| Norway | 36.5 | 45 | |
| Albania | 0 | 18.1 | |
| Serbia | 0 | 15.4 | |
| Montenegro | 0 | 4.6 | |
| Kosovo* | 0 | 0 |
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