Recyclable waste dumped in landfills doubled last year

According to the information, the first step in possible recycling is the separate collection of selectable waste. Waste yards play a key role in circular economy: a significant part of the waste handed in by the population can be recycled. The coordination of the waste yards has belonged to MOHU since 2023, and significant developments have been made since then: a unified digital waste tracking system has been introduced, in which all waste is recorded.

The yards are accessible to all residents of Hungary, regardless of their place of residence, and can also be visited during extended opening hours in settlements with a population of over 10,000, and they accept an increasing number of waste types – such as cooking oil, wood, furniture, electronic devices or textiles.

The types of waste that can be recycled are first transported to a pre-treatment facility, where they are cleaned, sorted according to similar materials, and then sent to recyclers. New products are made from these: for example, sweaters or flower pots from plastic, and even new furniture from old wood waste. Hazardous waste must be handled completely separately, as they require special storage, transportation and disposal.

They mentioned that according to a 2025 study commissioned by MOHU, many people are not aware of what, where and how they can take it. However, most households regularly generate waste – such as broken household appliances, batteries, tires and chemicals – that does not belong in the communal bin or can even be recycled. More and more people are taking advantage of this opportunity: by the 28th week of this year, the amount of valuable waste had increased by 138 percent compared to the same period last year, they wrote.