Cyprus nearly tops EU list of waste production

Cyprus is producing 673 kilogrammes of waste per inhabitant a year, making the island the 5th highest producer of municipal solid waste in the EU.

According to data released on Wednesday by the Statistical Service, the total quantity of municipal solid waste generated in Cyprus amounted to 615,000 tonnes in 2022, compared to 585,000 tonnes in 2021, marking an increase of approximately 5 per cent.

On average, this translates to 673kgs per inhabitant, the 5th highest producer in the EU.

On top of that, the Statistical Service added that of the 469,000 tonnes that underwent final disposal in 2022, 77.5 per cent was deposited in landfills, 17.2 per cent was forwarded for recycling, 3.1 per cent was used for energy recovery, and 2.2 per cent was composted.

The EU average for municipal waste production per inhabitant in 2022 was 513kgs.

Austria had the highest municipal waste production per inhabitant (835kgs), followed by Denmark, Luxembourg, Belgium and Cyprus.