UK achieves average EU municipal recycling rate

The figures cover the various treatment methods for municipal waste arisings employed by the 27 member states of the European Union over the course of 2008 and builds on the first statistical breakdown for 2007 published by EuroStat last year (see letsrecycle.com story)

The data shows that in 2008, the UK achieved a 23% dry recycling rate and a 12% composting rate, with 10% of municipal waste being incinerated and 55% going to landfill. This was compared to the cross-Europe average of 23% of municipal waste going to dry recycling, 17% to composting, 20% to incineration and 40% being landfilled.

The amount of waste produced per head of population in the UK was higher than the EU average, with 572kg per person produced in the country compared to the EU-27 average of 524kg per person.

The best performing countries for dry recycling were: Germany (48%); Belgium (35%); Sweden (35%); and, Ireland (32%). Conversely, the poorest performing countries were: Czech Republic (2%); Romania (1%); and, Bulgaria (0%).

On the composting side of things, the UK achieved around the tenth highest rate, with Austria (40%), Italy (34%) and the Netherlands (27%) the highest performers. Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus and Malta all reported no composting of municipal waste in 2008.

The UK did manage to reduce the amount of municipal waste sent to landfill between 2007 and 2008, with the total falling by 2% from 57% to 55%. However, this still left the country some way off the EU average of 40%, with Germany reporting that only 1% of its municipal waste was sent to landfill during the year in question.

Part of the reason that Germany managed to achieve such a low landfill rate was due to 35% of its municipal waste being incinerated, with Denmark (54%), Sweden (49%) and the Netherlands (39%) being the main users of this treatment method.

Across the 27 member states, the average use of incineration was for around 20% of municipal waste, while the UK was somewhat below this with a 10% rate.

Overall

The UK performance rose slightly between 2007 and 2008, with its combined dry recycling and composting performance going from 34% in 2007 – when it was taken as one measurement – to 35% in 2008. This was while the European Union average rose from 39% to 40% over the same 12 months.

The overall best recycling and composting performance in 2008 was found in Austria, which achieved a 69% combined recycling and composting rate for 2008. Other high performers were Germany (65%), Belgium (60%) and the Netherlands (59%).

The European Commission stressed that the figures used were estimates and there were discrepancies between member states on the definition of 'municipal waste' – an area highlighted by Defra last week with the launch of a consultation aimed at bringing the UK interpretation more in line with that of the rest of the EU (see letsrecycle.com story).