Germany is one of the top producers of waste in the European Union (EU), according to data from Eurostat. The amount of waste generated per person is largely dependent on the wealth of a country, with citizens of richer countries like Germany and Denmark producing more waste than those in poorer countries like Bulgaria and Romania. In 2020, households and businesses in the EU disposed of 225.7 million tonnes of waste, with an average of 505 kilograms per person. However, some countries, including Germany, produced significantly more waste, with 632 kilograms per person.
Luxembourg, Denmark, and Ireland were the top three countries with the highest amount of waste per person, with 790, 845, and 643 kilograms respectively. Since 1995, almost all EU member states have seen an increase in waste per person, with Germany’s waste increasing by 67 kilograms. Only seven member states were able to reduce their municipal waste per person, with Bulgaria, Hungary, and Slovenia seeing the biggest decrease. The amount of waste generated per person is largely dependent on the economic situation of a country, with people in richer countries consuming more and therefore producing more waste.
Eurostat’s data also shows that the recycling rate has significantly increased since 1995, with almost a third of waste being recycled in 2020, a 44% increase. However, a recent study by the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland in cooperation with the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung found that only 16% of plastic waste is recycled in Germany. The way waste is collected and what is considered municipal waste can also vary between countries, which can slightly skew the statistics.
Despite the increase in recycling, the way waste is disposed of has also changed significantly since 1995, with a decrease in landfill disposal and an increase in waste incineration and recycling, including composting. As the EU aims to become more sustainable, reducing waste and increasing recycling will be crucial in achieving this goal.
