Icelandic Environment and Energy Agency

Circular Economy Unit

Suðurlandsbraut 24

108 Reykjavik

Iceland

26 June 2025

26 June 2025

26 June 2025

We are reporting in accordance with new calculation rules. 

The derogation to make use of average loss rates has not been applied.

Table : Institutions involved in the collection of data and distribution of tasks

The classification system for waste statistics is based on the R/D codes in Annexes I and II of Directive 2008/98/EC.

The electronic database for waste statistics is based on the R/D codes in Annexes I and II of Directive 2008/98/EC.

The waste statistics in Iceland cover all treated and exported waste from every municipality. 

We don't take into account the amount of wooden packaging that is repaired for reuse in the calculation of the targets laid down.

We don't take into account the amount of metals in incineration bottom ash (IBA) for the calculation of the targets.   

Details on the types of reuse system in place for each main material type are not available.

• 182 tons (1,8%) of glass packaging are used as backfilling material. 
• 772 tons (5,8%) of wooden packaging are used as backfilling material. 

Not applicable.

The waste statistics is gathered for Iceland and the Icelandic government by the EA, and is compiled for all municipalities and residents in Iceland. 

All municipalities and household in Iceland.

Iceland.

The newest data is from 2023, and there is relatively good waste data from 2015 and onwords. But there exists limited data on waste statistics back to the year 1995 for Iceland. 

Not applicable.

Tonnes.

Calendar year.

Municipalities and waste actors are legally required to turn in data regarding all waste treatment to the Icelandic EA, and the EA are required to collect, process and disseminate the statistics. 

Icelandice EA shares waste statistics to all Iceland with an online website. 

Iceland gives permission to disseminate the information contained in this quality report.

Iceland gives permission to disseminate the information contained in this quality report.

The release date has not been fixed for the past years, but it has usually been between 14-17 months after the end of the published calendar year. This is something we would like to improve in the next years. 

There is no release calendar. 

The Icelandic EA is required to disseminate the data according to international agreements. 

The statistics are disseminated on a yearly basis.

News regarding waste and waste statistics are published at this website (Fréttir | Úrgangur.is | Umhverfisstofnun (urgangur.is)).

The publication news is published at this website (Fréttir | Úrgangur.is | Umhverfisstofnun (urgangur.is)).

Please find information at this website (Maelabord).

Microdata is availabe at this website (Mælaborð | Úrgangur.is | Umhverfisstofnun (urgangur.is)).

• Ráðstöfun úrgangs 1995-2013. PxWeb (hagstofa.is).
• Umhverfis- og orkustofnun — Uos
• Umhverfisstofnun | Forsíða (ust.is).

Waste data is published and publicly available on this website (Mælaborð | Úrgangur.is | Umhverfisstofnun (urgangur.is)).

A news article is published on this platform

• Forsíða | Úrgangur.is | Umhverfisstofnun (urgangur.is);

There is no documentation on quality management/assessment for the dissemination format of the waste data. 

There is an automatic error check tool in the web tool where waste actors turn in their data to the Icelandic EA.

Yearly quality check on waste export, where the EA compares data with data from Icelandic Revenue and Customs. 

Manual checks performed by EA when they receive data from waste actors. 

Overall our data is okay. The data we get is good but we are lacking more accurate data and more data in general from the waste actors. 

Municipalities - need to see how they perform regarding treatment and collection of waste.

The public - general curiosity and enquiries.

The Icelandic government - set the requirements and need to know how Iceland performs regarding achieving a circular economy. The data also provides assistance in identifying where and how to take action regarding waste, and which regulations to set to achive set recycling goals.

The Icelandic EA - the data provides assistance in identifying where and how to take action regarding waste, and which areas need to be improved.

There are no official measures to measure user satisfaction. 

The statistics are limited to the data that is requested to be turned in by waste actors. 

Generated waste is not completely accurate, as Icelandic Customs use a model to estimate the amount. 

Reusable packaging are placed on market, used and become waste, and there are some methods to estimate the reusability. 

The information in this section is to provide an overarching understanding of the accuracy of any statistical surveys used relating to packaging waste. Some of the information may be available in previous questions.

The information in this section is to provide an overarching understanding of the accuracy of any statistical surveys used relating to packaging waste. Some of the information may be available in other concepts.

Not applicable. 

Under responsibility of reporting enterprises.

14-17 months (looking at previous years) between the data is made available and the time it includes.

The data is published for the calendar year.

There is no target date when the data should be delivered. 

Not applicable.

Methodology for calculating generated waste changed slightly, the EPR scheme in Iceland (IFR) now oversees glass, metal and wood packaging, in addition to plastic and paper. Therefore the assessment from the contractor (Niras Logysis) was not required for 2023. This may affect those waste fractions slightly. 

Generated wood packaging waste has been greatly underestimated the past years, due to domestic production not taken into account. The domestic production of wood pallets is quite common, to service the fishing industry. Therefore, the value for generated and recycled wood waste increased significantly. 

No corrections made for recycling on plastic and paper packaging based on data from the IRF, as the reported data by waste actors to the Icelandic EA was deemed more accurate. 

Different calculation method for total amount of recycled ferrous. metal packaging waste and aluminium packaging waste. Now the calculation for the amount of recycled ferrous metal and aluminium is based on the proportion of how much of each type is placed on the market, as there is no breakdown of reported treated metal packaging.

The data is made coherent to some extent with other data sources (like IRF and Customs) by manually adjusting the data. 

The waste data is made sure to be consistent with all the quality checks in place. 

Explanation detailing the causes of the tonnage difference (in relation to which waste streams, sectors or estimates have caused the difference, and what the underlying cause is) for any component of packaging waste generated and recycled which shows greater than a 10 % variation from the data submitted for the previous data year.

Not applicable.

There is no policy.

Some backwards corrections will most likely be made, especially for wood packaging. 

A correction for glass packaging in 2022 has already been made, as the biggest waste actore in Iceland reported the wrong waste fraction under glass packging waste.

The Icelandic EA can send the revised data at some point, but as of now we are not yet ready. We would like to finish any revisions that we deem necessary before sharing the data again. 

Data reporting from waste management companies through electronic registry, Icelandic Recycling Fund, Icelandic Customs.

The waste samples for waste analysis are taken from:

Yearly.

Waste management companies are required to register their waste treatment through electronic registry before a certain deadline. 

Packaging placed on market for the calendar year, is assumed to become packaging waste the same year. So packaging placed on market is the same as generated packaging waste. 

We do not report on composite packaging. 

Additional information about the methodology, including the combination of methods used:

The Environment Agency has an electronic database which all waste operators are obliged to hand in waste data before the 1st of May each year. This includes waste treated by the operators themselves as well as exported waste. This data is then reviewed with data from the Icelandic Recycling Fund (the EPR system) in categories currently included in the EPR scheme.  

We do not use surveys to collect data.

We do not use surveys to collect data.

Calculation of recycling of metals from incinerator bottom ash : Detailed description of the method to collect data in order to calculate the amount of metals separated from incineration bottom ash in accordance with the Commission Implementing Act adopted in accordance with Article 37(7) of Directive 2008/98/EC.

Data validation involves comparison with the Icelandic Recycling Fund and Icelandic Customs records. Additionally, an automatic error check is performed upon data submission to the Environmental Agency, complemented by a manual data review.

Data validation involves comparison with the Icelandic Recycling Fund and Icelandic Customs records. Additionally, an automatic error check is performed upon data submission to the Environmental Agency, complemented by a manual data review.

Exporters of waste receive a confirmation from the receiver, confirming the waste has been received and the treatment. 

There is no waste exported outside the Union. 

The columns in the table relate to information on verification procedures used within the national statistical reporting system to validate the accuracy of the data.

The columns in the table relate to information on verification procedures used within the national statistical reporting system to validate the accuracy of the data.

Packaging placed on marked and generated packaging waste are estimated according to a model by the Icelandic Customs.

No operation is performed on data for treated packaging waste. 

Primary sources and their shares in the total.

(*) Necessity of a certain minimum amount of waste, turnover etc. to be registered 

Primary sources and their shares in the total.

(*) Necessity of a certain minimum amount of waste, turnover etc. to be registered

Packaging waste generated estimated by waste analysis

Since Iceland is an island, it is relatively easy to cover the whole market, using the Icelandic Customs. Packaging placed on market is estimated with models from the Icelandic Customs.

Placed on market is determined by the import of packaging material, minus the export of any packaging material. Production of packaging material in Iceland is added into the equation with a model derived from Iceland Revenue and Customs. 

This is not calculated.

This is not recorded in the data.

Composite materials are not accounted for.

Description of the sorted packaging waste to which ALRs are applied, types of sorting plants to which different ALRs apply, the methodological approach to calculating ALRs at such point(s), including the statistical accuracy of any surveys used, or the nature of any technical specifications.

Data on treated waste is adjusted, where applicapable, to conform to datasets from the Icelandic Recycling Fund and Icelandic Customs.

Description, where applicable, of the methodology to exclude non-packaging waste from the reported amount of recycled packaging waste and of the methodology to correct the amount of packaging waste at the measurement point in order to reflect the natural humidity rate of packaging (including by using relevant European standards). Aggregated data across facilities of a similar type is acceptable.

Description of the methodology to exclude waste originating from other countries, where applicable. Aggregated data across facilities of a similar type is acceptable.

No comment.