Overview
Waste management is an important part of environmental protection and the promotion of the circular economy. In Estonia, a significant amount of various types of waste is collected and treated every year, and proper processing helps reduce environmental impacts and direct resources back into the economy.
The collection of national waste statistics is necessary to obtain a comprehensive overview of the types of waste generated in Estonia and how they are managed. The data provide a basis for national decision-making, legislation, and strategies. High-quality, verified waste-related information makes it possible to position the state of waste management—and the circular economy more broadly among other countries and, where necessary, to draw relevant conclusions in order to further develop domestic waste management using best practices.
Waste management is based on the waste hierarchy, which establishes an order of priorities for dealing with waste: solutions higher up in the hierarchy should be preferred, with primary emphasis on preventing waste generation. Waste prevention is followed by preparing waste for reuse and recycling, i.e. the production of new products and materials from waste. Recycling is followed by other recovery operations (for example, energy production). Landfilling is the least preferred option. The principle of the waste hierarchy is to minimize the environmental impact of waste management. In the context of the circular economy, waste generation is minimized and resources are kept in circulation for as long as possible.
More information
- Waste information query since 2020 (in Estonian) – national waste reporting statistics since 2020
- Packaging and packaging waste – Statistics on quantities of packaging waste
- Landfilling and the history of landfills – Explore the history of landfills from 2001.
The following map story provides an overview of waste management in Estonia, highlighting the main thematic areas. The visual approach helps to better understand how different types of waste move from collection to treatment and which trends characterize Estonia’s waste management system as a whole.
To view the map story in a larger window, share it, or perform other actions, see the map story HERE. The map story is updated every year as new data become available.