Waste is not a problem in Germany - at least not a big one. Compared to some other European countries, Germans have recognised the importance of a functioning waste disposal system.
The trend in Germany is positive: in 2023, the volume of household waste fell by 0.7% to 36.7 million tonnes compared to 2022, the second year in a row. The amount of household waste in 2023 was 1.3 million tonnes or 3.6% lower than before the coronavirus pandemic in 2019, having reached a peak of 40.3 million tonnes in 2021.
This decline is remarkable given that Germany's population grew by more than 0.3 million people in 2023. The per capita volume of household waste will therefore reach a new low.
Around a third of the household waste collected in 2023 was household waste (35 per cent) and around a third was separately collected recyclables (31 per cent). Around a quarter of household waste was biowaste, i.e. organic waste (28 per cent). The smallest proportions were bulky waste (seven per cent) and other waste such as batteries and paint.
The volume of bulky waste recorded the largest percentage decrease in 2023 at minus 6.2 per cent. The volume of recyclables collected separately in 2023, such as paper, cardboard, cardboard packaging, plastic and metal packaging and glass, fell by a total of 3.3 per cent compared to the previous year. This means that both the total volume and the per capita volume of recyclable materials reached their lowest levels since the survey began in 2004.
The European comparison is not exactly flattering, but not bad either: In 2022, Germany generated an average of 606 kilograms of municipal waste per inhabitant. This was well above the EU average of 513 kilograms per inhabitant. However, the highest quantities of waste across the EU were registered in Austria (803 kg), Denmark (802 kg) and Luxembourg (721 kg). Waste volumes were significantly lower in the eastern EU countries in particular.
Graphic: © Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), 2024
