Waste export from Cyprus increased in 2022, while decreasing slightly in EU

In 2022, the EU exported 32.1 million tonnes of waste to non-EU countries (a slight decrease of 3% compared with 2021), while imports of waste from non-EU countries decreased by 5% since 2021, amounting to 18.7 million tonnes, according to annual data on trade in waste released by Eurostat.

Cyprus exported 81.9 thousand tonnes of waste to non-EU countries in 2022, an increase of 18% compared to 2021 (69.5 thousand tonnes). During the same year, Cyprus imported 41.9 thousand tonnes of waste from third countries, which marks a 17% decrease compared to 2021 (50.6 thousand tonnes).

Most waste exported from Cyprus to third countries in 2022 went to India (48.1 thousand), Lebanon (7.3 thousand), Egypt (7.2 thousand), Thailand (4.9 thousand), Pakistan (4.3 thousand) and Israel (3.7 thousand).

The largest volumes of waste from outside the EU were imported into Cyprus from the United Kingdom (41.2 thousand tonnes), Egypt (571 tonnes) and Lebanon (40 tonnes).

According to the same data, Turkey was the largest destination for waste exported from the EU in 2022, amounting to 39% of the total exports of waste (12.4 million tonnes). The second largest destination was India, which received 3.5 million tonnes of waste from the EU in 2022, followed by the United Kingdom (2.0 million tonnes), Switzerland (1.6 million), Norway (1.6 million), Egypt (1.6 million), Pakistan (1.2 million), Indonesia (1.1 million), Morocco and the United States (both 0.8 million).

Meanwhile, 55% of all waste exports from the EU (17.8 million tonnes) in 2022 were ferrous metals waste (iron and steel). The main destination was Turkey, which received 10.7 million tonnes, which amounts to 60% of all ferrous metal waste exported from the EU.

Considerable amounts of paper waste were also exported, amounting to 4.9 million tonnes or 15% of the EU’s waste exports in 2022. The main destination was India (30% of total paper waste exports).

The EU received 4.2 million tonnes of ferrous metals (22% of all waste imports) and 2.4 million tonnes of paper (13% of all waste imports).

The largest amounts of those waste were coming from the United Kingdom - 1.3 tonnes or 33% of total ferrous metals waste and 1.2 tonnes or 49% of total paper waste imports.

(Source: CNA)