Waste may be a global problem, says Christophe Cros, chief operating officer of Suez Environment, but its volume is a cultural issue.

Just look at the variations in waste volumes and content between countries, he says. “On average, each household in the European Union produces 500kg of waste per capita a year. For decades, the amount of waste has been growing faster than growth in gross domestic product, though that may now be reaching a plateau.