Municipal waste generation varied considerably among the EU members. In 2022, Austrian (827 kg per person), Danish (787 kg), and Luxembourgish (720 kg) citizens generated the highest amount of municipal waste. The lowest amount was generated in Romania (301 kg), Poland (364 kg), and Estonia (373 kg), with Latvia also coming in as not particularly wasteful with 461 kg. However Latvia's figure is based on 2021 data as no figure for 2022 is available. A year earlier in 2020 Latvia recorded its highest figure so far, 478 kg.
"The variations across countries reflect differences in consumption patterns, economic wealth, and the collection and management of municipal waste. Countries differ regarding how much waste from commerce, trade, and administration is collected and managed together with the waste from households," noted Eurostat.
When it comes to recycling, Latvia is somewhere in the middle of the pack. The EU registered an average of 249 kg per person, down from the 2021 average of 264 kg per person. Austria (516 kg), Denmark (411 kg), and Germany (409 kg) had the highest amount of recycled waste per person. On the other hand, Romania (36 kg), Malta (75 kg), and Greece (90 kg) had the lowest amount. Latvia's figure was 203 kg (again the Latvian data is from 2021).
