ENVIRONMENT: Cyprus second worst offender in EU for generating waste

Among EU Member States which generated the most municipal waste per person Cyprus (637 kg) was second behind Denmark (781 kg), with Germany (633 kg) in third place.

At the other end of the scale, three EU countries generated less than 350 kg of municipal waste per person in 2017: Romania (272 kg per person), Poland (315 kg) and Czechia (344 kg).

The amount of municipal waste generated per person in the EU in 2017 is estimated to amount to 486 kg.

This figure is unchanged from 2016 and is 7% below the peak of 525 kg per person in 2002.

There is a very distinct trend towards less landfilling as countries move steadily towards alternative ways of treating waste.

Municipal waste accounts for only about 10 % of total waste generated when compared with the data reported according to the Waste Statistics Regulation.

However, it has a very high political profile because of its complex character, due to its composition, its distribution among many sources of waste, and its link to consumption patterns.