RezeroLab Data

GDP decoupling and waste production

Data from Balearic Islands

Waste production is a complex parameter that depends on many other variables, such as the economic situation, the legal instruments implemented, the evolution of environmental awareness among citizens, tourism, etc.
GDP is one of the parameters that is observed to have a closer relationship with waste generation: tf GDP increases, so does waste generation (the more wealth a territory has, the more waste it generates), and vice versa.

For this reason, decoupling economic growth from waste generation is one of the main European waste prevention strategies.

Evolution of the waste production and anual GDP of Balearic Islands

Source:National Statistics Institute, Governnent of Balearic Islands and Insulars governments of Mallorca, Menorca, Eivissa and Formentera
Graphics

GDP and waste generation in the Balearic Islands have maintained a clear positive correlation over the last two decades. However, between 2022 and 2023, waste generation stagnates and breaks with the increasing trend of recent years, while decoupling from the trend in GDP, which continues to increase sharply, especially after the drop between 2019 and 2020 caused by the covid-19 crisis.

We will have to continue to monitor the evolution of the two parameters in the coming years to confirm that decoupling is beginning to take place.

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