In this article, we will look into the 20 countries that produce the most waste per capita. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to the 5 Countries that Produce the Most Waste per Capita.
Global Waste Generation
According to the World Bank, an estimated 2.24 billion tonnes of solid waste was produced in 2020. The waste generation rates are continuously rising around the world and this trend is projected to continue with an estimated increase of 73% from 2020 levels. An estimated amount of 3.88 billion tonnes of waste is expected to be produced globally in 2050.
The effects of the waste produced and its ineffective management affect developing countries more. Over 90% of waste is disposed of in open dumps and is burned, causing serious health and safety issues in low-income countries.
Effective waste management remains the biggest challenge for many developing countries. Many countries in the world lack proper regulated waste disposal and management systems. These systems require an integrated approach that is efficient, sustainable, and socially supported.
World Bank is continuously engaging and investing in countries' waste management systems, by providing them with financial and technical assistance. World Bank's waste management projects address the entire lifecycle of waste, from generation to collection and transportation, and finally treatment and disposal. For instance, the World Bank has provided loans and grants to countries to help them improve their waste disposal and management systems, including a $100 million loan to restructure waste management practices in Indonesia, an $80 million for the development of anaerobic digestion facilities in China, and a grant of $25 million to Sint Maarten for emergency debris management.
Waste Management Industry: A Market Analysis
According to a report by Grand View Research, the global waste management market was worth $1.29 trillion in 2022. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.4% and reach 1.96 trillion in 2030. The growth is characterized by rigorous government regulations. Other factors anticipated to contribute to the market growth include high operation and procuring costs of waste management solutions and waste collection and transportation costs to recycling facilities and landfills.
The market is segmented into collection, transportation, and disposal by service type. The collection segment held the largest share, accounting for 62% in 2022, followed by transportation and disposal. The disposal segment is expected to experience the highest growth at a CAGR of 5.9% over the forecasted period.
Regionally, the global waste management market is dominated by Asia Pacific, with a market share of over 24.5% in 2022. Government initiatives in the region are expected to boost awareness in the region, driving market growth. In North America, The market growth is fueled by rising waste generation, strict government regulations, and the need to address illegal dumping. Another factor that is driving the market growth in North America is the advanced waste management technologies such as PET bottle recycling technology.
The Middle East and Africa region is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.6% over the forecasted period. The growth is driven by the rising awareness regarding the sustainable advantages of reusing and recycling waste. However, the growth is hampered by inadequate infrastructure, illegal landfill sites, and a lack of financial resources in the region. Central and South America region is expected to grow at a significant pace fueled by the increasing awareness regarding recycling.
Major Players in the Market
The waste management market is dominated by major players such as Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM), Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG), and Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN).
Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) is a leading waste management, comprehensive waste, and environmental services company in America. As of November 17, it boasts a market cap of $68.94 billion. On October 24, Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) reported earnings for the fiscal third quarter of 2023. The company reported an EPS of $1.63 and surpassed the estimates by $0.02. The company reported a revenue of $5.2 billion. As of November 17, Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) has surged nearly 3% over the past 6 months.
Here are some of the comments from Waste Management, Inc.'s (NYSE:WM) Q3 2023 earnings call:
"We have another four facilities on track for completion in 2024, including two of the largest projects in the portfolio, Fairless in Pennsylvania and Orchard Hills in Illinois. On the recycling front, we’ve completed technology and automation upgrades at two facilities in the quarter. And we have two more upgrades at a new facility in Nashville slated to begin service by the end of this year. Our automated network continues to drive great results by pushing our labor and processing costs lower, improving throughput and driving enhanced material quality, which benefits the recycling business in any commodity environment. Yet again, in the third quarter, we saw materially lower labor cost per ton at our automated facilities at about 35% below the rest of our recycling network.
Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) is an American solid waste disposal and collection company. On November 9, the company announced its partnership with Blue Polymers, LLC, a plastic recycling company. Both companies are developing a plastic recycling unit in Indianapolis. The recycling unit will have Republic Services, Inc.'s (NYSE:RSG) first-ever Polymer Center and Blue Polymers, LLC's advanced polymer production facility. The polymer center will be responsible for producing high-quality recycled plastic. The joint venture is expected to produce 125 permanent jobs in the region. The facilities will help advance plastic circularity in the region. The recycling complex is expected to be open by the end of 2024. Moreover, The Indiana Economic Development Corp. (IEDC) made a commitment of up to $2 million in incentive-based tax credits and up to $100,000 in workforce-training grants to Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG).
Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) is a waste collection and solid waste services company. On November 16, the company announced that it had partnered with Vision RNG, a green energy supplier company. Both companies have announced their new project that will convert landfill gas into renewable natural gas at Waste Connections' Southern Plains landfill in Oklahoma. The project will deliver an estimated amount of 370,000 MMBtu of renewable natural gas annually. This will cut fossil-based carbon dioxide emissions by 16,464 tons.
Now that we have talked about the global waste generation and waste management market, let's have a look at the 20 countries that produce the most waste per capita.
20 Countries that Produce the Most Waste per Capita.
20 Countries that Produce the Most Waste per Capita
Methodology
To rank the 20 countries that produce the most waste per capita, we utilized the World Bank's What a Waste database which contains country-wise waste production data. We focused on municipal solid waste, industrial waste, and hazardous waste due to their substantial contribution to global waste generation and the availability of their data in the World Bank's database. Please note that we excluded the countries with missing or incomplete data from our list.
After excluding these countries, we summed the waste production data for each country and converted the waste generation data from tonnes to kilograms for uniformity in measurement. Then, we divided the total waste (municipal solid waste + industrial waste + hazardous waste) by the corresponding population of each country mentioned in the World Bank's database to calculate their per capita waste production. Lastly, we ranked countries in ascending order of the calculated waste per capita in kilograms.
20 Countries that Produce the Most Waste per Capita
20. Egypt
Waste in Kilograms per Capita (2018): 1,311.8 Kg/capita Egypt is ranked among the countries that produce the most waste per capita. According to the World Bank, Egypt produced a waste per capita of 1311.8 Kg in 2018. Some of the top waste management stocks to buy according to hedge funds include Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM), Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG), and Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN).
19. Algeria
Waste in Kilograms per Capita (2018): 1,375.7 Kg/capita
Algeria is a country in North Africa. According to the World Bank, Algeria produced a waste per capita of 1375.7 Kg/capita in 2018. It is ranked 19th on our list.
18. Jordan
Waste in Kilograms per Capita (2018): 1,452.3 Kg/year
Jordan is an arab country, located in West Asia. According to the World Bank, Jordan produced 1452.3 Kg/capita of waste in 2018. It is ranked 18th on our list.
17. Albania
Waste in Kilograms per Capita (2018): 1,477.7 Kg/capita
Albania is a developing country located in Southeastern Europe. According to the World Bank, Albania reported 1477.7 Kg/capita of waste in 2018.
16. Malaysia
Waste in Kilograms per Capita (2018): 1,553.6 Kg/capita
Malaysia is ranked 16th on our list of the countries that produce the most waste per capita. According to the World Bank, Malaysia produced 1553.6 Kg/capita in 2018. Malaysia reports a lower recycling rate than its neighboring countries and requires waste management solutions as reported by the International Trade Administration.
15. Qatar
Waste in Kilograms per Capita (2018): 1,554.6 Kg/capita
Qatar ranks 15 on our list with a waste per capita production of 1554.6 Kg in 2018, as reported by the World Bank. The main solid waste management method in Qatar is landfilling.
14. Kuwait
Waste in Kilograms per Capita (2018): 1,653.7 Kg/capita
Kuwait produced a waste per capita of 1653.7 Kg in 2018, as reported by the World Bank. More than 50% of waste in Kuwait goes to un-engineered landfills. Waste segregation and recycling are not very common in the country and are only practiced selectively.
13. Iran
Waste in Kilograms per Capita (2018): 1,696.1 Kg/capita
Iran ranks 13th on our list of the countries that produce the most waste per capita. According to the World Bank, Iran produced 1696.1 Kg/capital waste in 2018.
12. Iceland
Waste in Kilograms per Capita (2018): 1,705.5 Kg/capita
Iceland is ranked 12th on our list. According to the World Bank, Iceland generated 1705.5 Kg/capita in 2018. More than 50% of waste is used as fillers in Iceland, according to the Environment Agency of Iceland. 20% of waste goes to recycling and around 13% ends up in landfill.
11. Malta
Waste in Kilograms per Capita (2018): 1,978.0 Kg/capita
Malta is ranked among the countries that produce the most waste per capita. According to the World Bank, Malta generated 1978.0 Kg/capita in 2018. The majority of waste in Malta ends up in landfill.
10. Thailand
Waste in Kilograms per Capita (2018): 1,986.0 Kg/capita
Thailand is ranked 10th on our list. According to the World Bank, Thailand generated 1986.0 Kg/capita waste in 2019. Thailand is working towards effective waste management. It aims to achieve 100% efficiency in waste recycling by 2027.
9. Switzerland
Waste in Kilograms per Capita (2018): 2,020.4 Kg/capita
Switzerland produced 2020.4 Kg/capita waste in 2018 according to the World Bank. The majority of waste in Switzerland either gets recycled or incinerated. It is ranked 9th on our list.
8. Norway
Waste in Kilograms per Capita (2018): 2,130.7 Kg/capita
Norway ranks 8th on our list with a waste per capita production of 2130.7 Kg according to the World Bank. Waste management in Norway is split between incineration and recycling.
7. Montenegro
Waste in Kilograms per Capita (2018): 2,265.4 Kg/capita
Montenegro is ranked among the countries that produce the most waste per capita. According to the World Bank, Montenegro generated 2265.4 Kg/capita in 2018.
6. Australia
Waste in Kilograms per Capita (2018): 3,158.3 Kg/capita
Australia is ranked 6th on our list, producing a waste per capita of 3158.3 kg in 2018 as reported by the World Bank. The waste management methods in Australia include recycling and landfilling.
Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM), Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG), and Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) are some of the top companies leading the global waste management industry.
