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.

Our investments in developing the blueprint for a modern recycling facility sets us apart within the communities we serve and are unlocking further growth opportunities. With one quarter remaining in the year, we’re well positioned to deliver on the 2023 financial outlook we provided last quarter, including adjusted operating EBITDA growth of 6% at the midpoint. We continue to expect a margin run rate exiting the year of about 29%, underpinned by 62% operating expenses as a percent of revenue and 9% SG&A as a percent of revenue. We’re pleased with our results through the first nine months of the year. Our team is very focused on price discipline and cost optimization to deliver a strong finish to the year and lay the groundwork for further growth in 2024.”

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.

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