In 2021, the municipal waste per inhabitant in Germany amounted to a total of 620 kilograms. This was significantly above the EU average of 527 kilograms. The amount of waste generated was the highest in Austria (835 kg), Luxembourg (793 kg) and Denmark (769 kg). On the other hand the eastern EU Member States recorded lower levels. Romania (302 kg) and Poland (362 kg) were the EU Member States with the lowest amounts of municipal waste.
Municipal waste includes the following types of materials: paper, paperboard and paper products, plastics, glass, metals, food and garden waste and textiles. It includes waste originating from households, commerce and trade, office buildings and institutions (schools, hospitals, government buildings). The definition also includes bulky waste, garden waste, street sweepings, the content of litter containers.
Last update: 25.10.2023. Recent data can be found in the Eurostat database.