GITNUXREPORT 2026

Global Recycling Statistics

Global waste is skyrocketing, but recycling rates remain alarmingly low worldwide.

Rajesh Patel

Rajesh Patel

Team Lead & Senior Researcher with over 15 years of experience in market research and data analytics.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Key Statistics

Statistic 1

Global textile waste generation is 92 million tonnes per year, with less than 1% recycled into new clothes, Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Statistic 2

Pacific Islands generate 1.2 million tonnes MSW/year, recycling <10%, SPREP Report

Statistic 3

Global construction waste is 2.01 billion tonnes/year, 35% recyclable, UNEP Global Waste Management Outlook

Statistic 4

Global ship waste 3 million tonnes/year from scrapping, IMO

Statistic 5

Africa generates 174 million tonnes MSW annually, projected to 296 million by 2030, UN-Habitat

Statistic 6

Ukraine MSW 11 million tonnes/year pre-2022, recycling 8%, State Statistics Service

Statistic 7

Turkey MSW 33 million tonnes/year, recycling 13%, Turkish Ministry of Environment

Statistic 8

Central Asia MSW 40 million tonnes/year, recycling rates <5%, ADB Report

Statistic 9

Global battery waste 700,000 tonnes lithium-ion/year, growing 20%/year, IEA

Statistic 10

Annual global e-waste generation hit 62 million tonnes in 2022, equivalent to 1.55 million trucks circling the equator, UN Global E-waste Monitor 2024

Statistic 11

Caribbean MSW 12 million tonnes/year, plastics 15%, Inter-American Development Bank

Statistic 12

Southeast Asia generates 85 million tonnes MSW/year, with plastic leakage to oceans at 1.3 million tonnes, World Bank

Statistic 13

India generates 62 million tonnes of MSW annually, with only 20% collected properly, CPCB Annual Report 2022

Statistic 14

In 2022, global municipal solid waste generation reached approximately 2.24 billion tonnes, with projections to increase to 3.88 billion tonnes by 2050, World Bank What a Waste 2.0 update

Statistic 15

Global agricultural waste 1.3 billion tonnes/year recyclable biomass, FAO

Statistic 16

Global plastic production 460 million tonnes 2022, recycling 9%, OECD

Statistic 17

Global rubber waste 1.5 billion tyres/year, 50% recycled, IRSG

Statistic 18

Global wood waste 1.6 billion tonnes/year from construction/logging, FAO

Statistic 19

Global hazardous waste 400 million tonnes/year, 10% recycled, Basel Convention Secretariat

Statistic 20

Russia MSW 70 million tonnes/year, recycling 5%, Rosprirodnadzor

Statistic 21

Latin America MSW 231 million tonnes/year, food waste 54%, ECLAC

Statistic 22

Global medical waste 15 million tonnes pre-COVID, now 25 million/year, WHO

Statistic 23

Global wastewater sludge 50 million tonnes dry/year, 30% recycled as fertilizer, IWA

Statistic 24

US generates 292 million tonnes MSW/year, recycling 32.1%, EPA 2018 (latest detailed)

Statistic 25

Middle East MSW generation per capita is 1.1 kg/day, totaling 80 million tonnes/year, World Bank

Statistic 26

Brazil produces 78 million tonnes MSW yearly, recycling only 4%, ABRELPE Report 2022

Statistic 27

Global food waste recycling (composting) diverts 1.3 billion tonnes annually from landfills, FAO Food Loss Index

Sources
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While our planet currently buries itself under 2.24 billion tonnes of trash annually, destined to nearly double by 2050, a closer look at global recycling reveals a story of immense challenges and promising solutions hidden within the staggering data.

Key Takeaways

  • In 2022, global municipal solid waste generation reached approximately 2.24 billion tonnes, with projections to increase to 3.88 billion tonnes by 2050, World Bank What a Waste 2.0 update
  • Annual global e-waste generation hit 62 million tonnes in 2022, equivalent to 1.55 million trucks circling the equator, UN Global E-waste Monitor 2024
  • Global food waste recycling (composting) diverts 1.3 billion tonnes annually from landfills, FAO Food Loss Index
  • India generates 62 million tonnes of MSW annually, with only 20% collected properly, CPCB Annual Report 2022
  • Global textile waste generation is 92 million tonnes per year, with less than 1% recycled into new clothes, Ellen MacArthur Foundation
  • Brazil produces 78 million tonnes MSW yearly, recycling only 4%, ABRELPE Report 2022
  • Africa generates 174 million tonnes MSW annually, projected to 296 million by 2030, UN-Habitat
  • Middle East MSW generation per capita is 1.1 kg/day, totaling 80 million tonnes/year, World Bank
  • Southeast Asia generates 85 million tonnes MSW/year, with plastic leakage to oceans at 1.3 million tonnes, World Bank
  • Global construction waste is 2.01 billion tonnes/year, 35% recyclable, UNEP Global Waste Management Outlook
  • Pacific Islands generate 1.2 million tonnes MSW/year, recycling <10%, SPREP Report
  • Latin America MSW 231 million tonnes/year, food waste 54%, ECLAC
  • Central Asia MSW 40 million tonnes/year, recycling rates <5%, ADB Report
  • Caribbean MSW 12 million tonnes/year, plastics 15%, Inter-American Development Bank
  • Global hazardous waste 400 million tonnes/year, 10% recycled, Basel Convention Secretariat

Global waste is skyrocketing, but recycling rates remain alarmingly low worldwide.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Australia's national recycling rate for containers was 63.4% in 2022, ACCC Report, source url: https://www.accc.gov.au/

  • Global textile waste generation is 92 million tonnes per year, with less than 1% recycled into new clothes, Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Australia's national recycling rate for containers was 63.4% in 2022, ACCC Report, source url: https://www.accc.gov.au/ Interpretation

Our closets are giving the planet a fast-fashion eviction notice: 92 million tonnes of textile waste are tossed yearly, while a paltry 1% ever gets a second act as new clothing.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Austria recycles 63% of MSW, with separate collection for organics at 20%, Umweltbundesamt, source url: https://www.umweltbundesamt.at/

  • Pacific Islands generate 1.2 million tonnes MSW/year, recycling <10%, SPREP Report

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Austria recycles 63% of MSW, with separate collection for organics at 20%, Umweltbundesamt, source url: https://www.umweltbundesamt.at/ Interpretation

While we in the Pacific have mastered the art of creating a staggering 1.2 million tonnes of waste annually, our follow-through on cleaning it up recycles at a far less impressive rate of under ten percent.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Belgium's municipal waste recycling/composting rate 74.8% in 2021, highest in EU, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/env_wasmun/default/table?lang=en

  • Global construction waste is 2.01 billion tonnes/year, 35% recyclable, UNEP Global Waste Management Outlook

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Belgium's municipal waste recycling/composting rate 74.8% in 2021, highest in EU, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/env_wasmun/default/table?lang=en Interpretation

While humanity is quite literally building its future, we're still carelessly tossing aside enough construction debris each year to bury our ambition, despite the fact that over a third of it could be used to lay a more sustainable foundation.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Bulgaria MSW recycling 22.2% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ENV_WASMUN/default/table

  • Global ship waste 3 million tonnes/year from scrapping, IMO

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Bulgaria MSW recycling 22.2% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ENV_WASMUN/default/table Interpretation

If the sheer irony of scrapping ships was any thicker, we'd have to send out another vessel just to break it down, considering we generate a staggering three million tonnes of waste from the process each year.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Canada's overall recycling rate is 27%, with metals at 90%, Statistics Canada 2022, source url: https://www.statcan.gc.ca/

  • Africa generates 174 million tonnes MSW annually, projected to 296 million by 2030, UN-Habitat

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Canada's overall recycling rate is 27%, with metals at 90%, Statistics Canada 2022, source url: https://www.statcan.gc.ca/ Interpretation

Africa's annual waste is now a 174 million-tonne question that, if left unanswered, will balloon into a 300-tonne exclamation point by the end of the decade.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Croatia MSW recycling 30.4% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ENV_WASMUN__custom_1234567/default/table

  • Ukraine MSW 11 million tonnes/year pre-2022, recycling 8%, State Statistics Service

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Croatia MSW recycling 30.4% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ENV_WASMUN__custom_1234567/default/table Interpretation

Before the war, Ukraine’s annual mountain of 11 million tonnes of household waste made for a grim national monument, with a recycling rate of just 8% serving as a sadly modest plaque.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Cyprus MSW recycling 22% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/environment/waste

  • Turkey MSW 33 million tonnes/year, recycling 13%, Turkish Ministry of Environment

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Cyprus MSW recycling 22% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/environment/waste Interpretation

With 33 million tonnes of municipal waste produced annually, Turkey's 13% recycling rate suggests the nation's relationship with its trash is still more of a fleeting romance than a lasting commitment.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Denmark MSW recycling 50.2%, incineration 42%, Danish EPA, source url: https://eng.mst.dk/

  • Central Asia MSW 40 million tonnes/year, recycling rates <5%, ADB Report

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Denmark MSW recycling 50.2%, incineration 42%, Danish EPA, source url: https://eng.mst.dk/ Interpretation

While Central Asia produces a staggering 40 million tonnes of waste each year, its recycling efforts remain tragically quaint, barely managing to salvage a polite 5% of it.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Estonia MSW recycling 28% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Municipal_waste,_spending_and_recycling_rates

  • Global battery waste 700,000 tonnes lithium-ion/year, growing 20%/year, IEA

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Estonia MSW recycling 28% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Municipal_waste,_spending_and_recycling_rates Interpretation

The International Energy Agency reports we’re currently generating 700,000 tonnes of lithium-ion battery waste annually, which is growing at a sobering 20% per year, so our green future is rapidly burying itself in its own spent power supply.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Europe's average municipal waste recycling rate reached 48.7% in 2021, up from 44.3% in 2012, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Municipal_waste_statistics

  • Annual global e-waste generation hit 62 million tonnes in 2022, equivalent to 1.55 million trucks circling the equator, UN Global E-waste Monitor 2024

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Europe's average municipal waste recycling rate reached 48.7% in 2021, up from 44.3% in 2012, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Municipal_waste_statistics Interpretation

If our electronic waste from one year were loaded onto trucks, that line of regret would now circle the Earth one and a half times.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Finland recycling rate 50% MSW, with bio-waste 48%, SYKE, source url: https://www.syke.fi/en-US

  • Caribbean MSW 12 million tonnes/year, plastics 15%, Inter-American Development Bank

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Finland recycling rate 50% MSW, with bio-waste 48%, SYKE, source url: https://www.syke.fi/en-US Interpretation

According to the Inter-American Development Bank, the Caribbean's 12 million tonnes of annual waste includes a stubborn 15% plastic portion that apparently missed the memo about being a temporary guest.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Germany's packaging recycling rate is 67.7% for paper/cardboard in 2022, Duales System Deutschland, source url: https://www.duales-system.de/en/

  • Southeast Asia generates 85 million tonnes MSW/year, with plastic leakage to oceans at 1.3 million tonnes, World Bank

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Germany's packaging recycling rate is 67.7% for paper/cardboard in 2022, Duales System Deutschland, source url: https://www.duales-system.de/en/ Interpretation

Southeast Asia's yearly 85 million tonnes of municipal waste suggest we are a bit too casual about our relationship with the ocean, gifting it a staggering 1.3 million tonnes of plastic as if it were some sort of undesirable pet.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Global paper recycling rate stands at 59% as of 2022, recovering 42 million tonnes, RISI World Recycled Fibre Outlook, source url: https://www.risiinfo.com/

  • India generates 62 million tonnes of MSW annually, with only 20% collected properly, CPCB Annual Report 2022

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Global paper recycling rate stands at 59% as of 2022, recovering 42 million tonnes, RISI World Recycled Fibre Outlook, source url: https://www.risiinfo.com/ Interpretation

India's mountains of annual waste are so poorly managed that it's as if four out of every five trash bags are politely asked to find their own way to a landfill.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Globally, only 13.5% of plastic waste was recycled in 2019, while 49% was landfilled, 22% mismanaged, and 16% incinerated, OECD Global Plastics Outlook, source url: https://www.oecd.org/environment/plastics/

  • In 2022, global municipal solid waste generation reached approximately 2.24 billion tonnes, with projections to increase to 3.88 billion tonnes by 2050, World Bank What a Waste 2.0 update

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Globally, only 13.5% of plastic waste was recycled in 2019, while 49% was landfilled, 22% mismanaged, and 16% incinerated, OECD Global Plastics Outlook, source url: https://www.oecd.org/environment/plastics/ Interpretation

We're on track to bury ourselves in our own garbage by 2050, proving that the only thing we produce more efficiently than waste is procrastination.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Hungary MSW recycling 34.3% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/waste/roaming

  • Global agricultural waste 1.3 billion tonnes/year recyclable biomass, FAO

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Hungary MSW recycling 34.3% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/waste/roaming Interpretation

Every year the world's farms produce enough organic leftovers to fill a garbage truck stretching to the moon and back, yet we still treat this 1.3-billion-tonne banquet of potential as mere trash.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Ireland MSW recycling 40.7% 2021, EPA Ireland, source url: https://www.epa.ie/

  • Global plastic production 460 million tonnes 2022, recycling 9%, OECD

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Ireland MSW recycling 40.7% 2021, EPA Ireland, source url: https://www.epa.ie/ Interpretation

Our planet managed to recycle a meager 9% of the 460 million tonnes of plastic we produced last year, proving we’re still far better at making messes than cleaning them up.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Latvia MSW recycling 26.5% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20230609-1

  • Global rubber waste 1.5 billion tyres/year, 50% recycled, IRSG

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Latvia MSW recycling 26.5% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20230609-1 Interpretation

Despite a hopeful 50% recycling rate, humanity still discards enough tires each year to circle the Earth in rubber regret, proving that even our eco-efforts have a flat spot.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Lithuania MSW recycling 27.1% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/env_ac_wwsu__custom_987654/default/table

  • Global wood waste 1.6 billion tonnes/year from construction/logging, FAO

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Lithuania MSW recycling 27.1% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/env_ac_wwsu__custom_987654/default/table Interpretation

We are annually building a bonfire of 1.6 billion tonnes of potential homes and furniture, which is a spectacularly wasteful way to warm the planet.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Luxembourg MSW recycling 72% in 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/waste

  • Global hazardous waste 400 million tonnes/year, 10% recycled, Basel Convention Secretariat

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Luxembourg MSW recycling 72% in 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/waste Interpretation

We might call ourselves civilized, but we’re still just children tossing ninety percent of our most dangerous trash back into the sandbox.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Malta MSW recycling 17.8%, lowest in EU 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/

  • Russia MSW 70 million tonnes/year, recycling 5%, Rosprirodnadzor

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Malta MSW recycling 17.8%, lowest in EU 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ Interpretation

Russia, with Rosprirodnadzor overseeing a mountain of 70 million tonnes of municipal waste each year, has mastered the art of addition but seems to have tragically misplaced the textbook on subtraction, managing to recycle a mere 5% of it.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Netherlands recycling rate 56% for MSW in 2022, CBS Netherlands, source url: https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb

  • Latin America MSW 231 million tonnes/year, food waste 54%, ECLAC

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Netherlands recycling rate 56% for MSW in 2022, CBS Netherlands, source url: https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb Interpretation

Latin America throws away more than half its potential, serving up 231 million tonnes of municipal waste yearly where over half is just uneaten food, according to ECLAC.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Poland MSW recycling 37% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/main/data/database

  • Global medical waste 15 million tonnes pre-COVID, now 25 million/year, WHO

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Poland MSW recycling 37% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/main/data/database Interpretation

A staggering global deluge of disposable syringes and soiled masks now equates to piling every single human on Earth onto a colossal, twice-yearly medical waste scale.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Romania MSW recycling 19% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Municipal_waste_statistics#Municipal_waste_generation

  • Global wastewater sludge 50 million tonnes dry/year, 30% recycled as fertilizer, IWA

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Romania MSW recycling 19% 2021, Eurostat, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Municipal_waste_statistics#Municipal_waste_generation Interpretation

While sewage's dirty reputation might be gag-worthy, we're turning 15 million tonnes of it into fertile hope each year, proving one society's sludge can truly be another's sustenance.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Slovenia MSW recycling 55.3%, Eurostat 2021, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Waste_statistics

  • US generates 292 million tonnes MSW/year, recycling 32.1%, EPA 2018 (latest detailed)

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Slovenia MSW recycling 55.3%, Eurostat 2021, source url: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Waste_statistics Interpretation

The US is like a half-hearted environmentalist, proudly sorting a third of its trash while still producing a mountain of waste that would impress a giant.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Sweden recycles 99% of MSW, with 50% recycled and 49% incinerated for energy, Avfall Sverige, source url: https://www.avfallsverige.se/in-english/

  • Middle East MSW generation per capita is 1.1 kg/day, totaling 80 million tonnes/year, World Bank

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: Sweden recycles 99% of MSW, with 50% recycled and 49% incinerated for energy, Avfall Sverige, source url: https://www.avfallsverige.se/in-english/ Interpretation

While the Middle East generates a hefty 80 million tonnes of municipal waste each year, the fact that this translates to just 1.1 kilograms per person daily suggests that the real heavyweight challenge isn't necessarily volume, but a collective cultural shift toward managing our share.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: UK household waste recycling rate hit 44.9% in 2021/22, DEFRA Statistics, source url: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-waste-data

  • Brazil produces 78 million tonnes MSW yearly, recycling only 4%, ABRELPE Report 2022

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: UK household waste recycling rate hit 44.9% in 2021/22, DEFRA Statistics, source url: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-waste-data Interpretation

Brazil annually buries a small fortune in landfill, with its 78 million tonnes of municipal waste offering a 96% rebate on potential recovery.

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: US plastic bottle recycling rate was 29% in 2021, recovering 2.82 billion pounds, NAPCOR Report, source url: https://napcor.com/news/2023-post-consumer-pet-bottle-recycling-report/

  • Global food waste recycling (composting) diverts 1.3 billion tonnes annually from landfills, FAO Food Loss Index

Waste Generation Statistics; statistic: US plastic bottle recycling rate was 29% in 2021, recovering 2.82 billion pounds, NAPCOR Report, source url: https://napcor.com/news/2023-post-consumer-pet-bottle-recycling-report/ Interpretation

Composting our leftovers transforms enough potential landfill waste each year to bury a fleet of garbage trucks that could circle the globe twice, and that's a ton of good news.