Circular material use rate

The circular material use rate in Latvia slightly decreased from 5.2% in 2020 to 5% in 2023, but the consensus remains that the indicator has not significantly changed. The lack of growth in this indicator is attributed to global factors and instability, such as the onset and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as Russia’s military aggression. However, compared with 2011, the material circularity indicator has significantly increased (from 2.9% to 5%), although this growth has not been substantial in recent years due to the circumstances mentioned above. Looking at the 10 years from 2012 to 2022, the total material consumption per capita increased from 11.4 t to 16.3 t. Evaluating the individual indicators influencing the material circularity rate, such as the volume of recycled household and hazardous waste (Eurostat (RCV_R)), the volume of recycled waste slightly decreased in Latvia from 2020 to 2023– although the volume of recycled hazardous waste has shown an annual increase since 2021, which can be linked to the rise in imported hazardous waste since 2020. Conversely, the volume of exported household and hazardous waste has decreased since 2020, although there was a slight increase in the total volume of waste exported for recycling in 2023 compared with 2022.