Near the Top in Trash Amount

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Vala Hafstað

Being near the top of a list isn’t always something to be proud of. New figures from Eurostat show Iceland ranking fourth among European nations in 2017 in terms of amount of municipal waste per capita per year. On average, every Icelander threw away 656 kg (1,446 lbs) of municipal waste that year. Only the people of Denmark, Norway and Switzerland outperformed Icelanders in this respect. At the bottom of the list is Romania with 272 kg (600 lbs) of municipal waste per capita.

It is interesting to look at the development in Iceland since the turn of the century. Municipal waste increased steadily, year by year, in the years leading up to the financial crisis, late in 2008. That year saw every Icelander get rid of a record 655 kg of municipal trash. The following year, there was a sharp reduction in the amount of waste, but began picking up again after that. In the past few years, the increase has been fast. In 2016, the amount exceeded that of the 2008 levels for the first time.

According to Eurostat, the variations in the amount of municipal waste between countries “reflect differences in consumption patterns and economic wealth, but also depend on how municipal waste is collected and managed. There are differences between countries regarding the degree to which waste from commerce, trade and administration is collected and managed together with waste from households.”

Danes top the list in 2017, with 781 kg (1,722 lbs) of municipal waste per capita, followed by Norwegians with 748 kg per person and the Swiss, with 706 kg per capita. The average weight of municipal waste per capita per year within the European Union was 486 kg (1,071 lbs), which is the same as in 2016. The average figure was the highest in 2002, when it reached 525 kg per person.

The good news is that there is a very distinct trend towards less landfilling as countries move steadily towards alternative ways of treating waste. Surprisingly, municipal waste accounts for only about 10 percent of total waste generated.

You can read the full report here .

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