The waste collection market - Europe (2023)

1.1 Introduction

The waste collection market in Europe is the sector that deals with the collection and transportation of waste generated in different regions of Europe. Waste is divided into (Cnr):

• Municipal Waste:
  1. undifferentiated and separately collected household waste, including: paper and cardboard, glass, metals, plastics, organic waste, wood, textiles, packaging, waste electrical and electronic equipment, waste batteries and accumulators, and bulky waste;
  2. undifferentiated and separately collected waste from other sources that are similar in nature and composition to household waste
  3. waste from street sweeping and emptying of waste bins;
  4. waste of whatever nature or origin, lying on public roads and areas or on private roads and areas otherwise subject to public use or on maritime and lake beaches and the banks of watercourses;
  5. waste from the maintenance of public green areas, such as leaves, grass clippings and tree prunings, as well as waste resulting from the cleaning of markets;
  6. waste from cemetery areas, exhumations and exhumations, as well as other waste from miscellaneous cemetery activities.
• Special Waste:
  1. wastes generated as part of agricultural, agro-industrial and forestry, and fishing activities;
  2. wastes produced in construction and demolition activities, as well as wastes resulting from excavation activities;
  3. waste produced as part of industrial processing;
  4. waste produced as part of artisanal processing;
  5. waste produced as part of commercial activities;
  6. waste produced as part of service activities;
  7. waste from waste recovery and disposal activities; sludge produced from potabilization and other water treatment and wastewater purification; and waste from fume abatement, septic tanks, and sewerage systems;
  8. wastes from sanitary activities;
  9. end-of-life vehicles.
• Hazardous waste

On average, each European produces 5 tons of waste per year, only 38 percent of waste in the EU is recycled, and more than 60 percent of household waste still ends up in landfills in some EU countries. European waste policy aims to contribute to the circular economy and extract high-quality resources from waste as much as possible. The European Green Deal aims to promote growth through the transition to a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy. As part of this transition, several European waste laws will be revised in the coming years.[Europeancommission]

Waste collection is a sector that is part of the larger waste management market, valued at $1,293.70 billion in 2022. It is also expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.4 percent from 2023 to 2030.[Grandviewresearch]

This study focuses on the waste take-back market in selected Western European countries (UK, FR, GE, SP, IT), providing estimates of the value of various markets and detailed information on market characteristics and new trends. For information on related markets, such as the recycling or waste disposal market, please refer to the specific studies available in the Businesscoot catalog.