Municipal waste recycled in Brazil

Brazil: Municipal waste recycled was 1.02 million tonnes in 2015. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2015)
1.02 million tonnes
Change on year
up 9.2%
World rank
37th
of 90 countries
All-time high
3.54 million tonnes
in 2009
All-time low
206,540 tonnes
in 2006
Years of data
12
2004–2015

Municipal waste recycled in Brazil, 2004–2015

01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M2004200920152004: 220.7k tonnes2005: 320.5k tonnes2006: 206.5k tonnes2007: 273.1k tonnes2008: 2.4M tonnes2009: 3.5M tonnes2010: 1.2M tonnes2011: 486.5k tonnes2012: 518.3k tonnes2013: 775.6k tonnes2014: 937.3k tonnes2015: 1.0M tonnes

Source: United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.

Analysis

In 2015, municipal waste recycled in Brazil stood at 1.02 million tonnes.

The figure is up 9.2% on the previous year and up 219.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, municipal waste recycled in Brazil peaked at 3.54 million tonnes in 2009 and was at its lowest, 206,540 tonnes, in 2006.

That places Brazil 37th out of 90 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Municipal waste recycled in Brazil, year by year

Annual values for Municipal waste recycled in Brazil, 2004 to 2015.
Year tonnes Change
2004 220,707 tonnes
2005 320,501 tonnes +45.2%
2006 206,540 tonnes -35.6%
2007 273,077 tonnes +32.2%
2008 2.40 million tonnes +779.2%
2009 3.54 million tonnes +47.3%
2010 1.19 million tonnes -66.5%
2011 486,544 tonnes -59.0%
2012 518,325 tonnes +6.5%
2013 775,563 tonnes +49.6%
2014 937,283 tonnes +20.9%
2015 1.02 million tonnes +9.2%

Brazil compared with similar countries

  • Brazil's 1.02 million tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 382,150 tonnes, 2.7× the median. (22 countries reporting)
  • Brazil's 1.02 million tonnes is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 80,251 tonnes, 12.8× the median. (15 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.16 million tonnes 206,540 tonnes 3.54 million tonnes 6
2010s 821,171 tonnes 486,544 tonnes 1.19 million tonnes 6

Countries ranked near Brazil

  1. 34 Finland 1.17 million tonnes compare
  2. 35 Kuwait 1.15 million tonnes compare
  3. 36 Argentina 1.04 million tonnes compare
  4. 38 Greece 948,000 tonnes compare
  5. 39 Romania 722,000 tonnes compare
  6. 40 Croatia 660,000 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 90 places →

More environment data for Brazil

All data for Brazil →

Frequently asked questions

What is municipal waste recycled in Brazil?
Municipal waste recycled in Brazil was 1.02 million tonnes in 2015, according to United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest municipal waste recycled recorded in Brazil?
The highest recorded value was 3.54 million tonnes in 2009.
What is the lowest municipal waste recycled recorded in Brazil?
The lowest recorded value was 206,540 tonnes in 2006.
How does Brazil rank for municipal waste recycled?
Brazil ranks 37th out of 90 countries with data for 2015.
Is municipal waste recycled rising or falling in Brazil?
Over the last ten years it is up 219.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Brazil data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Municipal waste recycled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Municipal waste recycled in Brazil. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/municipal-waste-recycled/brazil/

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About this data

Indicator
Municipal waste recycled
Unit
tonnes
Source
United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
90 places, 1,516 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

Municipal waste recycled (Tonnes).