domestic waste sorting

EU environmental and sustainable policies require effective data and analyses. Eurostat plays an essential role by providing official statistics, some of which pertain to waste and circular economy. For example, Eurostat data on food waste, packaging, and municipal waste show the course of our society and help see the best way ahead.

In 2022, each person in the EU used on average 66.3 lightweight plastic carrier bags, representing a 14% reduction from the previous year. Furthermore, municipal waste generation per person continued to fall, reaching 511 kg in 2023, a 4% decrease over 2 years. However, other challenges persist.

Regarding the EU efforts to reduce packaging waste, in 2022, the EU produced 83.4 million tonnes of packaging waste (186.5 kg per person). Although this represents a slight decrease compared with the previous year, it highlights an upward trend over the past decade.

Plastic packaging and plastic bags trends in the EU, 2018-2022 (kg per inhabitant; number of plsatic bags per inhabitant). Double axis graph with trendlines. Link to full datasets below.

Source datasets: env_waspac (plastic packaging recycling and generation) and env_waspcb (plastic bags below 50 microns)   

In 2022, around 132 kg of food waste per inhabitant was generated. Households were responsible for 54% of this waste, equivalent to 72 kg per inhabitant.  

Additionally, the trade in recyclable raw materials indicates a shifting landscape. While exports decreased by 8% in 2024, imports increased by 18%. This resulted in a trade deficit of approximately 11 million tonnes for recyclable raw materials in 2024. The further optimisation of domestic collection and processing of recyclable materials in the EU would contribute to the transition towards a more circular economy.

This article marks the ongoing EU Green Week, taking place from 3 to 5 June 2025 in Brussels, under the theme ‘Circular Solutions for a Competitive EU’, as well as the World Environment Day, which is celebrated on 5 June.