Slovenia generated almost 9% less waste last year y/y

Ljubljana – Slovenia generated less waste in 2020 compared to 2019, according to the Statistics Office. Less waste was generated in economic activities, while municipal waste from households and the healthcare sector increased, especially waste that requires special collection and disposal treatment to prevent infection, due to Covid-19.

Slovenia generated 7.7 million tonnes of all types of waste in 2020, a decrease of almost 9% compared to 2019. Construction waste still accounted for the majority (59%) of all waste generated at 4.5 million tonnes, the Statistics Office said on Tuesday.

Municipal waste from households was up 2% year-on-year, while there was also an increase in waste from the health sector, especially waste requiring special collection and disposal management to prevent infection, which was up by 37%.

In 2020, a year heavily affected by the epidemic, an average person in Slovenia produced 489 kilograms of municipal waste, which is 21 kilograms less than in 2019.

The largest amount of municipal waste (642 kilograms per person) was generated in the Savinja statistical region, while the least was generated in the Koroška statistical region (317 kilograms per person).

Out of the total amount of household municipal waste generated and collected in Slovenia last year, just over 741 000 tonnes (72.2%) was separated.

Meanwhile, the amount of waste decreased in almost all economic activity sectors, with the largest decrease (66%) recorded in financial and insurance activities.

More waste was generated only in real estate activities and information/communication activities, in both cases due to construction waste.

With 138,000 tonnes, hazardous waste accounted for almost 2% of all waste generated in Slovenia in 2020, but it was 5% compared to 2019.

Imports of waste into Slovenia decreased by 8% last year, while exports fell by 0.6%. Slovenia exported most of its waste into EU countries (89%) and Turkey.

Nearly three quarters of imported waste came from Slovenia’s neighbouring countries – Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. Among non-EU countries, the most waste imports were from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

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