In 2014 some 799 thousand tonnes of waste were generated in Iceland, thereof about 5% hazardous waste. Most of the waste total was soils, some 326 thousand tonnes which is 41% of the total waste. Household and similar waste was about 120 thousand tonnes and chemical waste was 87 thousand tonnes.
About 621 thousand tonnes went to recycling or reuse. 174 thousand tonnes went to disposal by land deposit or incineration without energy recovery. Waste to energy recovery was 3,819 tonnes. Most of the soils were reused for landscaping. About 90% of chemical waste went to recovery while 10% was incinerated or disposed to landfills. Of household and similar waste 99% went to land disposal or incineration.
Data was collected by the Icelandic Environment Agency from 70 corporate agents which were all companies specialising in waste treatment and large companies who handle own waste. Considerable amendments were made to the Icelandic waste management act in 2014, as well as an implementation of the Eurostat waste classification with the results of a break in series for waste statistics in Iceland. Waste statistics will be provided bi-annually from now on.
| Quantity of waste generated in Iceland in 2014 | |||
| Haz | Non-haz | Total | |
| Tonnes | |||
| Total waste | 38,959 | 760,247 | 799,206 |
| 01.1 Spent solvents | 126.3 | 0 | 126.3 |
| 01.2 Acid, alkaline or saline wastes | 0 | 38.9 | 38.9 |
| 01.3 Used oils | 1,951 | 0 | 1,951 |
| 01.4, 02, 03.1 Chemical wastes | 8,903 | 78,396 | 87,299 |
| 03.2 Industrial effluent sludges | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| 03.3 Sludges & liquid wastes from w. treatm. | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 05 Health care and biological wastes | 198.5 | 95 | 293.5 |
| 06.1-2 Metallic wastes, ferrous | 0 | 19,070 | 19,070 |
| 06.31 Metallic wastes, non-ferrous | 0 | 3,924 | 3,924 |
| 06.32 Metallic wastes, mixed | 0 | 21,007 | 21,007 |
| 07.11 Glass wastes | 0 | 10,597 | 10,597 |
| 07.21 Paper and cardboard wastes | 0 | 27,705 | 27,705 |
| 07.3 Rubber wastes | 0 | 5,053 | 5,053 |
| 07.4 Plastic wastes | 0 | 5,550 | 5,550 |
| 07.5 Wood wastes | 204 | 17,549 | 17,753 |
| 07.6 Textile wastes | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 07.7 Waste containing PCB | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 08.2 Discarded equipment* | 194 | 3,240 | 3,434 |
| 08.1 Discarded vehicles | 0 | 6,364 | 6,364 |
| 08.41 Batteries and accumulators wastes | 1,115 | 44.775 | 1,160 |
| 09.11 Animal and mixed food waste | 0 | 17,629 | 17,629 |
| 09.21 Vegetal wastes | 0 | 22,757 | 22,757 |
| 09.31 Animal faeces, urine and manure | 0 | 1,002 | 1,002 |
| 10.11 Household and similar wastes | 0 | 119,995 | 119,995 |
| 10.12 Mixed and undifferentiated materials | 0 | 14,759 | 14,759 |
| 10.3 Sorting residues | 0 | 2,231 | 2,231 |
| 11.4 Common sludges | 0 | 3,721 | 3,721 |
| 12.1 Mineral waste from constr. & demol. | 669 | 32,083 | 32,752 |
| 12.4 Other mineral wastes | 11,131 | 19,240 | 30,371 |
| 12.5 Combustion wastes | 13,909 | 61 | 13,970 |
| 12.6 Soils | 163.59 | 325,519 | 325,683 |
| 12.7 Dredging spoils | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 Min. waste from w. treatm. & stabilised w. | 384 | 2,616 | 3,000 |