Slovakia Generated 2.65 million Tonnes of Municipal Waste in 2024

Bratislava, 1 March (TASR) - Slovaks produced 2.65 million tonnes of municipal waste in 2024, or 489 kilograms per capita, which represents an increase of nearly 50 percent when compared to a decade ago, TASR has learnt from data provided by Wood & Company analyst Eva Sadovska, citing the latest figures from the Statistics Office. "Another piece of bad news is that some 38 percent of household waste still ends up in non-ecological landfills, with the recycling rate reported at 52 percent. Only about 7 percent of municipal waste was recovered for electricity or heat in Waste-to-Energy (WtE) facilities," stated Sadovska, claiming that over the last decade, Slovakia has ranked among the EU countries with the fastest growth in municipal waste generation. According to Sadovska, there's also a problem with how Slovakia manages its waste, as the country lags significantly behind the rest of Europe in terms of recycling and converting waste into heat and electricity. "The best countries in this field include Germany, Austria and the Benelux nations, which have long achieved recycling rates above 50 per cent and recover the remaining municipal waste for energy in WtE plants, with landfill rates at nearly zero," she added. According to Sadovska, advanced European economies are currently implementing carbon-neutral waste management, while Slovakia remains a "landfill superpower". She expects that municipal waste production will continue to rise in the coming years. "Slovakia thus faces the challenge of meeting the targets of the reform package aimed at the EU's transition to a circular economy – recycling at least 65 per cent of municipal waste, with a maximum of 10 percent placed in landfills," explained Sadovska, adding that these targets won't be achieved unless more WtE capacities are built. jrg/df