Page 37 - Waste-to-Energy in the Danube Strategy Region. Challenges and Prospects

100%
90%

80%
70% Other

60% Recycling (composting & digestion)
Recycling (material)
50%
Energy recovery
40%
Incineration (disposal)
30%
Disposal (landfill & other)
20%

10%
0%

Figure 5. Distribution of MSW by treatment type, 2016 (Eurostat 2018a; * based on own calculations using
data from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine [Ukrstat.org 2018])

What is apparent from this data is that the DSR countries are generally characterized by

underdeveloped WtE sectors and rather high levels of landfilling. Most countries in the DSR are
thus a rather long way from achieving the circular economy goals. The question then is what role

WtE could play in helping these countries to move towards a circular economy. To answer that

question, it is also necessary to consider some broader data in waste generation and waste

management.
Table 2 below presents some overall descriptive statistics regarding waste generation and

waste management in the DSR countries. Based on these data, an estimate of the potential for

WtE development is calculated as the gap between current WtE capacity and the theoretically

necessary capacity to meet the circular economy goals, representing 25% of generated MSW in
2035. Because exact data on current WtE capacity exclusively for MSW is not available from

Eurostat, this figure also had to be estimated. For Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and

Slovakia, however, the respective capacities were taken from the Confederation of European

Waste-to-Energy Plants (CEWEP).

Project co-funded by the European Union
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