Cyprus generated 3,206 tonnes of textile waste in 2024, compared with 12,793 tonnes in Greece, according to figures published by Eurostat covering waste generation across the European Union.
The data show that Cyprus produced 4.04 million tonnes of waste in total during the year, including 2.1 million tonnes when major mineral waste is excluded.
Greece generated approximately 30 million tonnes of waste, of which 12,793 tonnes consisted of textiles. Across the European Union, textile waste reached 2.27 million tonnes out of almost 2.2 billion tonnes of waste overall.
Households accounted for more than half of the textile waste generated across the bloc, highlighting the contribution of domestic disposal to the total.
Of the textile waste generated in the EU, 1.4 million tonnes was treated, equivalent to 63% of the total.
Italy recorded the highest amount of textile waste generated, at 441,736 tonnes. It also led the EU in the amount treated and recycled, with 280,680 tonnes.
France followed with 339,965 tonnes generated and 258,129 tonnes treated, while Germany produced 212,107 tonnes and treated 207,156 tonnes.
Recycling accounts for most treated textile waste
The Eurostat figures show that recovery operations accounted for 91% of textile waste treatment across the EU.
Recycling represented 78% of all treated textile waste, while incineration with energy recovery accounted for a further 13%.
Meanwhile, 8% was sent to landfill and the remaining 1% was incinerated without energy recovery.
Italy and France recorded the highest recycling shares, with both countries recycling 98% of their treated textile waste.
Lithuania followed with 87%, while Slovenia recorded 83%.
At the other end of the scale, Latvia reported no textile recycling. Estonia recycled 5%, while Romania recorded 23%, although its figure relates to 2022.
The figures highlight significant differences between EU countries in the way textile waste is managed. While recycling accounts for the vast majority of treated material in some member states, others report considerably lower rates.
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