Landfill rate for waste collected by councils falls to 4.9%
Date published:
New accredited official statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) present information on local authority collected municipal waste management statistics for January to March 2026.
Key findings
During January to March 2026:
- The landfill rate for waste collected by councils was 4.9%, down from 8.3% during January to March 2025. In the longer term, landfill rates decreased from 76.5% in January to March 2007.
- Northern Ireland’s councils collected 237,941 tonnes of waste, similar to the 237,447 tonnes collected during January to March 2025.
- 46.5% of waste collected by councils was sent for recycling. This was similar to the 46.2% recycling rate recorded in the same quarter in 2025.
- 47.2% of waste arisings were sent for energy recovery, up from 44.2% during January to March 2025. In the longer term, energy recovery rates have increased from 1.2% in January to March 2010.
- Household waste accounted for 86.6% of all Local Authority Collected waste. The household waste recycling rate was 47.2%, up from 46.5% during January to March 2025.
About this publication
This publication provides a summary of Local Authority Collected municipal waste management statistics for January to March 2026. It covers waste arisings, recycling, energy recovery and landfill.
Further information
Read the full report, data tables and background information: Northern Ireland local authority collected municipal waste management statistics January to March 2026 | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs