Germany’s household waste output decreased by about 0.3 million tons or 0.7% in 2023 compared to 2022, reaching 36.7 million tons. This marks the second consecutive year of decline, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) based on preliminary results.
Household waste output in 2023 was 1.3 million tons or 3.6% lower than in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, when it reached 38 million tons. The output had previously peaked at 40.3 million tons in 2021. The decline is notable, as the German population grew by more than 300,000 people in 2023, according to statisticians.
Per capita, 433 kilograms of household waste were collected in 2023, a decrease of 51 kilograms from the pandemic-affected year of 2021 (484 kilograms) and 24 kilograms from the pre-pandemic year of 2019 (457 kilograms). This marks a new low.
About one-third of the household waste collected in 2023 was household trash (35% or 12.8 million tons) and separately collected recyclables (31% or 11.2 million tons). About a quarter of the household waste was organic waste, or bio-waste (28% or 10.1 million tons). The smallest shares were for special waste (7% or 2.4 million tons) and other waste (0.5% or 0.2 million tons), which includes items such as batteries and paint.
The special waste output saw the steepest percentage decline in 2023, with a drop of 6.2% compared to the previous year. The amount of separately collected recyclables (including paper, cardboard, plastic and metal packaging, or glass) decreased by 3.3% or five kilograms per capita to a per capita output of 132 kilograms, the lowest level since the start of the survey in 2004.
In contrast, the output of bio-waste increased by 2.4% or three kilograms per capita to 120 kilograms in 2023. The household trash output rose by 0.4% or 45,000 tons compared to the previous year. Household trash includes everything that is not collected in the recyclables, yellow bin, or biodegradable waste bins or requires special disposal.