Lithuania, 2025 EU waste recycling targets : state of play.
Date: 2023-06-01
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment
Subjects: Lithuania, carbon neutrality, circular economy, clean technology, municipal waste, packaging, recycled product, recycling technology, waste recycling

LITHUANIA 

2025 EU waste recycling targets 
STATE OF PLAY

Turning waste into resources is key for the transition to a cleaner, climate neutral and circular economy. Re-use and 
recycling create local jobs and boost innovation, alleviate pressures on natural resources and reduce dependencies 
on imported raw materials.

The Commission issued an early warning report on the progress of Member States towards the 2025 preparing 
for re-use and recycling target for municipal waste, the 2025 recycling targets for packaging waste, and the 2035 
municipal waste landfilling reduction target. Reaching these targets is instrumental in creating well-functioning 
markets for recycled materials in the EU.

KEY FINDINGS

Lithuania is at risk of missing the 2025 targets for the preparing for re-use and the recycling of municipal waste and for the 
recycling of all packaging waste. However, Lithuania is likely to meet the municipal waste landfill reduction target by 2035.

In 2020: 
Municipal waste recycling rate was 45.2%

In 2020: 
Packaging waste recycling was 61.8%

45.2%

EU 2025 target >55%

55%

Municipal waste landfilling rate was 16.3%

16.3%

EU 2035 target <10%

10%

EU 2025 target >65%

61.8%

65%

Over the last 5 years the recycling rate has 
slightly decreased. 

It is acknowledged that several actions have recently 
been put in place to achieve the EU waste targets; 
however, efforts should be stepped up significantly in 
order to reach all 2025 targets.

Environment

 
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Low capture rates of separately 
collected recyclables (41% for bio-waste, 
27% for plastics, and 5% for textiles).

Limited infrastructure associated 
with the separate collection and 
treatment of bio-waste.

Introducing a quality management 
system can ensure the production of 
high-quality compost/digestate.

MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS

Support preparing for re-use 
of municipal waste and re-use 
systems for packaging.

Further develop waste 
treatment infrastructure such 
as stepping up treatment capacity 
for bio-waste and food waste.

Increase separate collection performance 
and establish a quality management system for 
compost/digestate from bio-waste.

Consider placing responsibility on municipalities to 
meet specific mandatory separate collection targets, 
with a system of performance-bound financial rewards 
and penalties.

EXAMPLES OF GOOD PRACTICES FROM LITHUANIA

 ● Boosting home composting – Improving bio-waste collection and treatment capacities by providing financial aid. 

Between 2021 and 2024, more than 66 000 home composters will be provided to individual houses.

 ● Ambitious target for landfilling reduction – Lithuania has set up a national target for reaching a maximum 5% 

landfilling of municipal waste by 2035, going beyond the 10% EU target.

 ● National threshold for incineration capacity – Lithuania’s National Waste Prevention and Management Plan for 

2021-2027 includes a threshold stating that by 2027 incinerated municipal waste will not exceed 429 000 tonnes 
per year.

 ▶ The Commission supports Member States to improve their performance in waste management with European funds, 

technical assistance, guidance and other instruments. 

 ▶ The early warning report for Lithuania is a result of an assessment of all Member States carried out by the Commission 
in accordance with the EU rules on waste, based on a collaborative and transparent process involving the European 
Environment Agency and national authorities. 

 ▶ This assessment identified 18 Member States at risk of missing the 2025 preparing for re-use and recycling target for 

municipal waste, 10 of which are also at risk of missing the 2025 recycling target for all packaging waste. The reports for 
all Member States are available at https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/implementation-waste-
framework-directive_en

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doi:10.2779/652723 

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