- Municipal waste
- 628 kg per capita
- Incineration rate
- 31%
- Recycling rate
- 67%
Germany has long been at the forefront of waste management in Europe, combining high recycling rates with minimal landfill use.
Key Takeaways
- Germany leads in waste management in Europe, showcasing high recycling rates and minimal landfill use.
- In 2022, Germany recycled 69% of its municipal waste, significantly surpassing the EU average of 49%.
- Waste incineration stood at 30% in 2022, while landfill disposal was under 1%, already meeting future targets.
- Germany has implemented a deposit-return system and mandatory producer responsibility for packaging to enhance recycling.
- Packaging waste recycling reached 69% in 2022, with recent enhancements promoting sustainable practices.
Germany has long been at the forefront of waste management practices in Europe. Recent statistics concerning municipal waste generation, recycling, incineration, and landfill disposal illustrate the country’s efforts in maintaining sustainable waste management strategies. With a notable emphasis on recycling and reduced landfill use, Germany serves as a model for effective waste management.
| Municipal waste generated | 52.5 million t |
|---|---|
| Waste incinerated | WtE Monitor+Available with WtE Monitor+ |
| Landfill ban | Waste with total organic carbon (TOC) content above 3% banned since 2005 |
| CO₂ pricing for incineration | WtE Monitor+Available with WtE Monitor+ |
| Packaging recycling rate | WtE Monitor+Available with WtE Monitor+ |
| Key legislation | WtE Monitor+Available with WtE Monitor+ |
Largest plants in Germany
Operators in Germany
- AGR1 plant
- Alba1 plant
- AVA Augsburg1 plant
- Avea1 plant
- AVG Köln1 plant
- AWB Neu-Ulm1 plant
- AWG Wuppertal1 plant
- AWM München (Munich)1 plant
- Berliner Stadtreinigungsbetriebe (BSR)1 plant
- Bremerhavener Entsorgungsgesellschaft (BEG)1 plant
- City of Nuremberg1 plant
- Danpower4 plants
- EEW Energy from Waste17 plants
- EGK1 plant
- EGM1 plant
- EnBW1 plant
- Entega1 plant
- Entsorgungsverband Saar (EVS)1 plant
- EVI Laar1 plant
- EVO Offenbach1 plant
- Fernwärme Ulm1 plant
- GAB Pinneberg1 plant
- GfA Geiselbullach1 plant
- GMVA Niederrhein1 plant
- HEB1 plant
- Interargem2 plants
- Klingele2 plants
- Kreis Weseler Abfallgesellschaft (KWA)1 plant
- MHB1 plant
- MHKW Bamberg1 plant
- MHKW Frankfurt1 plant
- MHKW Kassel1 plant
- MVA Weisweiler1 plant
- MVK1 plant
- MVV7 plants
- Prezero2 plants
- RBB1 plant
- Remondis1 plant
- RWE1 plant
- SRS Ecotherm1 plant
- Stadtreinigung Hamburg (SRH)2 plants
- Stadtwerke Düsseldorf1 plant
- Stadtwerke Rosenheim1 plant
- Steinbeis Energie1 plant
- swb2 plants
- SWB Verwertung Bonn1 plant
- T2C / Infraserv1 plant
- ZAS Burgkirchen1 plant
- ZAS Darmstadt1 plant
- ZASO1 plant
- ZASt1 plant
- ZAW Coburg1 plant
- ZMS Schwandorf1 plant
- ZV TAD1 plant
- ZVAWS1 plant
- ZVO Ostholstein1 plant
- Zweckverband Müllverwertung Ingolstadt1 plant
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