This is broadly reflected in the regional analysis of household waste composition. Five regions
(Eastern, Central/Western and Northern Africa and Southern and Eastern Asia) see higher rates
of disposal of food and green waste as the primary material in household waste. Households
in the Middle East throw away dry recyclables and food and green waste at similar rates, while
all other regions skew towards dry recyclables. Around four in five households across Northern,
Western and Southern Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and Northern America primarily
throw away dry recyclables.
There is much geographic variation when it comes to the most commonly reported materials
in household waste. Five of the top 10 countries with the highest proportion of people living in
households where plastic is the most common type of waste are in Europe, and three are in
Southeastern Asia, with El Salvador and Eswatini also on the list. Cambodia18, Myanmar19 and
Eswatini20 — the three lower-middle-income countries that feature in the top 10 — all have
significant plastic waste challenges due to many factors, including economic development,
population growth and insufficient infrastructure. Eswatini recently voted to ban single-use
plastic bags to combat the challenge21.
Chart 2.4. Most common categories of material
reported in household waste, by region
Global
mean
Global
mean
33%
61%
37%
59%
39%
58%
46%
51% 49% 47% 49%
44%
59%
33%
68%
30%
69%
28%
69%
29%
79%
20%
79%
17%
81%
17%
28%
66%
84%
14%
80
40
60
20
0
100
Proportion respondents (%)
Southern
Africa
Eastern
Africa
Latin America
& the
Caribbean
Northern
Africa
Middle
East
Southern
Asia
Southern
Europe
Eastern
Europe
Central
Asia
Northern
Northern/
Western
America
Europe
Australia
& New Zealand
Southeastern
Asia
Eastern
Asia
Central/
Western
Africa
Food and green waste Dry recyclables
Survey question: Please think about your household waste and garbage, including recyclables. What would you say is THE ONE
most common type of material in your household waste? For example, is it plastic, food waste, or something else?
World Risk Poll 2024 Report || A World of Waste: Risks and opportunities in household waste management
Copyright © 2024 Lloyd’s Register Foundation. All rights reserved. 7
The fact that lower-income countries feature in the top 10 list for households reporting plastic
as the primary material in their household waste is significant from a policy perspective. Such
countries generally lack the same levels of recycling infrastructure as high-income countries to
deal with plastic waste. As such, policymakers in these countries need to encourage a reduction
in plastic disposal and develop sufficient recycling infrastructure to cope with it.
Globally, food waste is the biggest primary component of household waste in many lower-income
countries, but highest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (79% of households), Cote d’Ivoire
(76%) and Gabon (75%), with other countries from the Middle East, Northern Africa and Asia
rounding out the top 10. Aside from Afghanistan (45%), the top 10 countries reporting household
dust as the most common waste material are all in Africa, whereas cardboard/paper skews
heavily towards high-income countries in Europe and Northern America.
Table 2.1. Top 10 countries/territories where each
waste material is most commonly disposed of
Plastic Food-related Household dust* Cardboard/paper
Slovenia: 83% D.R. Congo: 79% Ethiopia: 58% Iceland: 36%
Czech Republic: 81% Cote d’Ivoire: 76% Afghanistan: 45% Sweden: 26%
Eswatini: 79% Gabon: 75% Sierra Leone: 40% U.S.: 23%
El Salvador: 78% Morocco: 72% Malawi: 34% U.K.: 22%
Netherlands: 78% Lebanon: 71% Niger: 34% Ireland: 22%
Belgium: 78% Kuwait: 70% Zimbabwe: 33% Canada: 20%
Cambodia: 78% Pakistan: 68% Burkina Faso: 28% Taiwan (PoC): 19%
Italy: 76% Azerbaijan: 68% Chad: 26% Austria: 19%
Myanmar: 76% Malaysia: 63% Zambia: 23% Australia: 17%
Indonesia: 76% Israel: 61% Mali: 20% Croatia: 17%
Survey question: Please think about your household waste and garbage, including recyclables. What would you say is THE ONE
most common type of material in your household waste? For example, is it plastic, food waste, or something else
gimme a caption and focus in morocco with all the details