In 2022, Cyprus experienced a 3.5% increase in urban waste production, reaching 673 kilograms per person, exceeding the European Union average of 513 kilograms. This increase contrasts with the overall reduction in waste production observed at the European level, according to the latest data published by Eurostat.

Cyprus also reported the fourth-lowest amount of recycling per person (100 kilograms), significantly below the EU average of 249 kilograms.

At the EU level, Eurostat estimates a reduction from 532 kilograms per person in 2021 to 513 kilograms in 2022, a decrease of 19 kilograms or 3.5%.

Since 1995, urban waste per capita in Cyprus has increased by 78 kilograms (from 595 kilograms, a 13.1% rise), while in the EU, it has grown by 46 kilograms (from 467 kilograms, a 9.9% increase).

Significant differences were noted among EU member states in terms of urban waste production. In 2022, Austrians produced the most urban waste (827 kilograms per person), followed by Danes (787 kilograms) and Luxembourgers (720 kilograms).

The lowest amounts in the EU were recorded in Romania (301 kilograms per person), Poland (364 kilograms), and Estonia (373 kilograms).

These differences reflect, according to Eurostat, the variations in consumer habits, economic prosperity, and the collection and management of urban waste.

Disparities also exist in how waste from commercial and economic activities, trade, and administration is collected and managed alongside household waste.

Regarding recycling, the EU recorded an average of 249 kilograms of waste recycled per person in 2022, down from the 2021 average of 264 kilograms, as per Eurostat estimates. This number has been gradually increasing since 1995 when the European average was just 88 kilograms per person.

In Cyprus, preliminary data show an average of 100 kilograms of recycling per person, an increase compared to 2021 (91 kilograms), but a decrease from 2019 when the figure reached its peak of 113 kilograms before slightly dropping to 107 kilograms in 2020. Cyprus is the country with the fourth-lowest recycling rate per person in 2022.

From 1995 to 2019, recycling in kilograms per person in Cyprus increased steadily, with zero kilograms recorded in 1995 and 17 kilograms in 1996.

The highest quantities in 2022 were recorded by Austria (516 kilograms per person), Denmark (411 kilograms), and Germany (409 kilograms).

The lowest quantities were recorded in Romania (36 kilograms per person), Malta (75 kilograms), and Greece (90 kilograms).