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[[Category:Tonnage & Waste Types]]
[[Category:Tonnage & Waste Types]][[Category:Targets & Metrics]]
The total waste arisings per year for the UK in the most recent [[DEFRA]] data <ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/digest-of-waste-and-resource-statistics-2018-edition Digest of Waste Resources 2018] reporting data from 2016</ref> <ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-waste-data UK Statistics on Waste 2019] updating some of the 2018 Digest with 2017 data</ref>was almost 223 million tonnes, with 85% of that tonnage arising from England.
The total waste arisings per year for the UK reported by [[DEFRA]] in September 2024 was for core data reported for 2020 <ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-waste-data/uk-statistics-on-waste UK Statistics on Waste September 2024 update]</ref> and was '''191.2 million tonnes''', with 85% of that tonnage arising from England. This is a decrease of 14% on the figures reported for 2018 (data for England is available for 2022 and this indicates an increase of tonnage from 2020 to 2022 of c.17%) .  


== Headline Figures ==
== Headline Figures ==
The most recent macro-level data reported in 2019 by [[DEFRA]] for tonnage arisings is summarised in the figure below, with a total of nearly 223 million tonnes of waste arising in the UK (with England responsible for 85% of the total):


The macro-level data reported in 2024 by [[DEFRA]] for tonnage arisings is summarised in the figure below (produced by [[Monksleigh]] from the raw [[DEFRA]] data), with a total of 191.2 million tonnes of waste arising in the UK (with England responsible for 85% of the total):


[[File:UK Macro Tonnage Graphic.png|1000px|center|UK Waste Tonnage Summary]]


* around 81 million tonnes was mineral Waste (17m from mining and quarrying and 63 million from construction) and 58.7 million tonnes was soils (primarily from construction), the two largest waste categories in the UK (63% of the total)
The waste mix in 2020 is summarised in the extract from [[DEFRA]] below:
* around 69 million tonnes was controlled wastes and 67.8 million HIC (Household, Industrial and Commercial wastes 31% of the total)
[[File:Waste Mix 2018.png|500px|center|Waste generation by material - UK 2020]]
* around 27.3 million tonnes was waste arisings from households (22.8 million tonnes was from England equivalent to 412kg per person)
* around 41 million tonnes <ref >with latest estimates [[DEFRA]] estimates of 37.9 million tonnes in 2017 </ref> was Commercial and Industrial Waste or C&I (of which around 33 million tonnes or 80% was generated in England)
* around 10 million tonnes <ref>with around 60% thought to be avoidable </ref>  of food and drink was waste in the food chain in 2015 (equivalent to around 25% of the 41 million tonnes of food bought)


== Key Destination Information ==
== Key Destination Information ==


* [[Recycling]] and [[Recovery]] : around 104 million tonnes (48.5%) was recycled or recovered in 2016 (55% of which was mineral wastes and 12% soils)
* [[Recycling]] and [[Recovery]] : around 97.3 million tonnes was recycled or recovered (52.3%) in 2020 of which around two thirds are mineral and soil wastes (down 10.3% on 2018)
* [[Energy Recovery]] : around 7.3 million tonnes was used for energy recovery (4 times the figure in 2014 of 1.9 million tonnes) of which 76% was household and similar wastes
* [[Energy Recovery Facility|Energy Recovery]] : around 9.7 million tonnes was used for energy recovery based on 2020 data (classified by [[DEFRA]] as those sites which have [[R1]] status, those without are reported as [[Incineration]])
* [[Landfill]] : around 52 million tonnes (24.4%) of waste went to landfill in 2016
* [[Landfill]] : around 45 million tonnes (23.6%) of waste went to landfill in 2020 (down 11% on 2018)
* [[Waste Derived Fuel]] Export : around 3.2 million tonnes of RDF or SRF was sent outside of the UK for energy recovery (the majority to the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden)
* [[Waste Derived Fuel]] Export : not reported, but previously reported at around 3.2 million tonnes of [[RDF]] or [[SRF]] was sent outside of the UK for energy recovery (the majority to the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden) this tonnage has more than halved since 2018 (see [[Waste Derived Fuel]])


== Performance against Key Targets ==
== Performance against Key Targets ==


* The UK recycling rate for households was 45.7% up from 45.2% in 2016 (against an EU target of 50% by 2020)
* The UK recycling rate for waste from households was 44.6% in 2023 vs 44.1% in 2022 <ref>Figures include the metal from [[IBA]]</ref> against an historic EU target of 50% by 2020.
** England 45.2%
 
** Northern Ireland 46.3%
{| class="wikitable"
** Scotland 43.5%
|-
** Wales 57.6%
! Country !! 2017 !! 2018 !!2019 !!2020 !!2021 !!2022 !!2023
* The UK C&D recycling rate was 91% (against an EU target of 70% by 2020) equivalent to recycling around around 60 million of the 66 million tonnes classified as non-hazardous C&D wastes
|-
* The UK [[BMW]] to [[Landfill]] was 21% of the baseline 1995 value in 2017 (the EU target is 35% of the 1995 baseline by 2020) equivalent to 7.4 million tonnes (against the target of 11.8 million tonnes, 4.4 million tonnes improvement on the target)
| England || 45.2% || 44.7% ||45.5%||44.0%||44.1%||43.4%||44.0%
* The UK packaging waste either recycled or recovered was 71.4% in 2017 (the EU target is to exceed 60%) equivalent to 8 million tonnes
|-
| Northern Ireland || 46.3%||47.7% ||50.6%||49.1%||48.4%||49.2%||50.2%
|-
| Scotland || 43.5%||42.8%||43.5%||41.0%||41.7%||42.0%||42.1%
|-
| Wales || 55.2%||54.1%||56.4%||56.5%||56.7%||56.9%||57.0%
|-
| UK Total || 45.5%||45.0%||46.0%||44.4%||44.6%||44.1%||44.6%
|}
 
* The UK C&D recovery rate was 92.6% in 2020 (against an historic EU target of 70% by 2020) equivalent to recovering around around 55 million tonnes of the 59.4 million tonnes classified as non-hazardous C&D wastes. The recovery rates for 2021 and 2022 were 93.6% and 94.3% respectively.
* The UK [[BMW]] to [[Landfill]] has fallen from around 6.3 million tonnes in 2022 to 5.3 million tonnes in 2023.  
* The UK packaging waste either recycled or recovered was confirmed at 64.1% in 2024.
 
==References==
<references />

Latest revision as of 13:04, 24 July 2025

The total waste arisings per year for the UK reported by DEFRA in September 2024 was for core data reported for 2020 [1] and was 191.2 million tonnes, with 85% of that tonnage arising from England. This is a decrease of 14% on the figures reported for 2018 (data for England is available for 2022 and this indicates an increase of tonnage from 2020 to 2022 of c.17%) .

Headline Figures

The macro-level data reported in 2024 by DEFRA for tonnage arisings is summarised in the figure below (produced by Monksleigh from the raw DEFRA data), with a total of 191.2 million tonnes of waste arising in the UK (with England responsible for 85% of the total):

UK Waste Tonnage Summary
UK Waste Tonnage Summary

The waste mix in 2020 is summarised in the extract from DEFRA below:

Waste generation by material - UK 2020
Waste generation by material - UK 2020

Key Destination Information

  • Recycling and Recovery : around 97.3 million tonnes was recycled or recovered (52.3%) in 2020 of which around two thirds are mineral and soil wastes (down 10.3% on 2018)
  • Energy Recovery : around 9.7 million tonnes was used for energy recovery based on 2020 data (classified by DEFRA as those sites which have R1 status, those without are reported as Incineration)
  • Landfill : around 45 million tonnes (23.6%) of waste went to landfill in 2020 (down 11% on 2018)
  • Waste Derived Fuel Export : not reported, but previously reported at around 3.2 million tonnes of RDF or SRF was sent outside of the UK for energy recovery (the majority to the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden) this tonnage has more than halved since 2018 (see Waste Derived Fuel)

Performance against Key Targets

  • The UK recycling rate for waste from households was 44.6% in 2023 vs 44.1% in 2022 [2] against an historic EU target of 50% by 2020.
Country 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
England 45.2% 44.7% 45.5% 44.0% 44.1% 43.4% 44.0%
Northern Ireland 46.3% 47.7% 50.6% 49.1% 48.4% 49.2% 50.2%
Scotland 43.5% 42.8% 43.5% 41.0% 41.7% 42.0% 42.1%
Wales 55.2% 54.1% 56.4% 56.5% 56.7% 56.9% 57.0%
UK Total 45.5% 45.0% 46.0% 44.4% 44.6% 44.1% 44.6%
  • The UK C&D recovery rate was 92.6% in 2020 (against an historic EU target of 70% by 2020) equivalent to recovering around around 55 million tonnes of the 59.4 million tonnes classified as non-hazardous C&D wastes. The recovery rates for 2021 and 2022 were 93.6% and 94.3% respectively.
  • The UK BMW to Landfill has fallen from around 6.3 million tonnes in 2022 to 5.3 million tonnes in 2023.
  • The UK packaging waste either recycled or recovered was confirmed at 64.1% in 2024.

References

  1. ↑ UK Statistics on Waste September 2024 update
  2. ↑ Figures include the metal from IBA
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