Total waste generation

The rate of increase in waste generation has been lower than the economic growth rate since 2018. The waste generation index is smaller than the GDP index in terms of both total and municipal waste generation. This indicates better consumer awareness, more efficient resource utilisation and the implementation of the principles of a circular economy. However, Estonia’s waste generation accounted for 1% of the total waste generated in the EU in 2020, and, per capita, approximately 3.3 times more waste was produced in Estonia than the EU average. More than 70% of waste came from the oil shale sector, although the volume of mined oil shale has decreased.

Estonians produced 27% (373 kg) less municipal waste than the EU average in 2022. However, only 33% of Estonia’s municipal waste was recycled in 2022, with the majority being disposed of as mixed municipal waste. Estonia is undergoing municipal waste reform, prioritising separate waste collection, the use of reusable and recyclable packaging, economic incentives to increase recycling and the digitalisation of waste data. This is an important step towards reducing waste generation and ensuring efficient resource management.