Generation and treatment of waste - Issue number 30/2009 - Products Statistics in Focus

Households and businesses in the European Union (EU-27) produced over six tonnes of waste per person in 2006; over 400 kg was household waste. More than half of the waste generated by businesses was produced by industry and construction. Mining produced more than half of the waste generated by the industrial sector. Mining, and as a consequence mining waste, is unevenly spread over the countries. Around 3% of waste generated in EU-27 was hazardous, meaning harmful for health or the environment. The main treatment types were disposal and recovery; incineration is important for the treatment of household waste.