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Environmental information systems
The indicator shows the total generated amount of all types of waste from all economic sectors and households, and compares it with economic development measured as gross domestic product (GDP).
Total waste generated in Iceland increased from 2014 until 2018, which coincides with Iceland’s economic recovery and growth following the bank crisis in 2008 and a steep rise in consumption. At the same time, data gathering improved significantly, as all final waste treatment facilities were included in waste data, resulting in more accurate data on final treatment operations and an increase in total recorded waste volume.
The total waste generated decreased in 2019 and 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2021, the trend has shown a notable increase in waste generation, with the numbers rising again to 2018 levels and upwards.
Iceland is a wealthy nation with high consumption per capita, which leads to high waste generation. Heavy industry also counts for a large share of waste generation in Iceland, which is noticeable due to Iceland’s small population. Positive trends, however, include an increase in recovery treatment operations and a decrease in disposal, and municipal waste generation has not varied much since 2017 despite the economic growth and a significant increase in population, mostly due to immigration encouraged by the high demand for labour.