Less in the bin: Dutch household waste fell in 2025

People in the Netherlands produced slightly less household waste in 2025, averaging 449 kilos each – 6 kilos less than the year before, according to preliminary figures from the national statistics office CBS. In total, councils collected 8.1 billion kilos.

The fall was driven mainly by a drop in organic waste – vegetable, fruit and garden waste, known as gft – which fell from 92 to 87 kilos per person. CBS put part of the decline down to dry weather, which meant less garden growth to prune and clear.

Residual waste, the largest category, was almost unchanged at 179 kilos per person. Collection of old paper and cardboard slipped again to 39 kilos, continuing a near-20-year decline as more people read the news online.

Around 60% of household waste was separated for recycling, a share that has barely shifted since 2019. Rates varied widely by region, from 74% in Overijssel to 44% in Zuid-Holland, where more high-rise housing leaves less room for separate bins.

Separate collection of disposable nappies kept growing, reaching 1.5 kilos per person as 120 local authorities offered it in 2025, up from 83 in 2020.