Belgians recycle and compost over 50% of waste

Belgians recycle and compost over 50% of waste

Belgians produced an average of 439kg of household waste per person in 2013. Over half of this waste was either recycled or composted, which makes Belgium one the leaders in the EU, according to figures published by Eurostat on Thursday. Under 1% of household waste in Belgium ends up in landfill. With the amount of household waste per person coming in at 439kg, Belgium does just slightly better than the European average of 481kg.

Belgium is also one of the best recyclers and composters in Europe. Some 34% of our household waste is recycled, as much as in Ireland and only slightly less than in Slovenia (55%) and Germany (47%). 21% of our waste is composted, settling Belgium in third place behind Austria (35%) and top composter, the Netherlands (26%). When both waste treatment methods are combined, Belgium ranks fourth in Europe, with under 1% of all Belgian waste going into landfill. We are pipped at the post only by Germany and Switzerland (0%) while Romania sends a staggering 97% of its waste to landfill. That said, Eastern European countries tend to produce less waste in general, only 272kg on average per person. In Denmark, waste per person soars to 747kg, the highest in the EU.

(Source: Belga)


Copyright © 2024 The Brussels Times. All Rights Reserved.