Greenhouse gas emissions from waste in the EU have fallen by 42% between 1995 and 2017, the bloc's statistical authority announced on Thursday.
Eurostat said the decrease is based on European Environmental Agency estimates.
The waste sector is the fourth-largest source of emissions, accounting for 3% of total greenhouse gas emissions in 2017, according to the authority. Most emissions, at 77%, come from combusting fuels, followed by agriculture at 10%, and industrial processes at 8%.
According to Eurostat, based on the knowledge that the amount of emissions from waste depends on how the waste is treated, EU legislation has brought about changes in waste treatment by focusing on recycling and reducing the disposal of waste as landfill.
'Changing the treatment of waste is just one example of how creating a more circular economy helps to reduce emissions and fight climate change,' Eurostat said.
By Ebru Sengul Cevrioglu
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr