The indicator measures the national average cost borne by municipalities to provide urban sanitation services, expressed per capita and per kilogram of municipal waste generated. In 2023, the average annual management cost was €197.0 per inhabitant and €0.398 per kilogram of municipal waste produced.

At the macro-regional level, the highest annual per capita service cost was recorded in Central Italy, amounting to €233.6 per inhabitant (€0.437/kg), followed by Southern Italy at €211.4 per inhabitant (€0.464/kg), and Northern Italy at €173.3 per inhabitant (€0.345/kg).

In 2023, the Italian economy experienced a more moderate growth compared to previous years, with the Gross Domestic Product and Final Consumption Expenditure on the national territory increasing by 0.7% and 0.4%, respectively, compared to 2022. Municipal waste generation showed a slight increase (+0.7%) following a 1.8% decline recorded over the previous two-year period (2021–2022).

National municipal waste (MW) generation in 2023 amounts to approximately 29.3 million tonnes, marking a 0.7% increase (approximately +218,000 tonnes) compared to 2022.

In 2023, the ratio between the amount of organic waste recycled and the amount separately collected reached 80.9%, showing an increase compared to both 2022 (79.9%) and 2021 (80.7%).

In 2023, the preparation for re-use and recycling rate—calculated using Methodology 4 and excluding construction and demolition (C&D) waste from household sources—stood at 50.8%, thus exceeding the 50% target set for 2020.

The indicator measures the quantity of waste sent for biological treatment, specifically composting, integrated anaerobic/aerobic treatment, and anaerobic digestion. In 2023, the total amount of waste recovered through biological treatment processes (8.7 million tonnes) shows an increase of approximately 392 thousand tonnes (+4.7%) compared to 2022. A similar trend is observed for the share of organic waste from separate collection, which increased from approximately 6.7 million tonnes to 6.9 million tonnes, showing a growth of 250 thousand tonnes (+3.8%).

In 2023, the quantity of municipal waste incinerated—including Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF), dry fraction, and bio-dried material derived from municipal waste treatment—amounted to 5.5 million tonnes, marking a 4% increase compared to 2022. Of this total, 72.7% was processed in Northern Italy, 9.1% in Central Italy, and 18.2% in the South.

The incineration infrastructure is predominantly concentrated in the North, which hosts 25 operational plants, whereas the Central and Southern regions operate 5 and 6 facilities, respectively.

In 2023, the total amount of municipal waste disposed of in landfills amounted to approximately 4.6 million tonnes, with 112 landfill facilities in operation nationwide. Compared to 2022, this represents a 10.8% reduction in the total quantity of municipal waste landfilled (equivalent to -559,000 tonnes) and a 4.3% decrease in the number of operational sites (-5 facilities).

Nel 2023, la percentuale di raccolta differenziata è pari al 66,6% della produzione nazionale (29,3 milioni di tonnellate) (+1,4 punti percentuali rispetto al 2022), mantenendosi al di sopra dell’obiettivo fissato dalla normativa per il 2012 (65%).

The indicator measures the quantity of waste sent to mechanical-biological treatment (MBT), which in 2023 amounted to nearly 9 million tonnes. Compared to 2022, an increase of approximately 186,000 tonnes (+2.1%) was observed in the amount of waste treated at MBT facilities. This growth is entirely attributable to the rise in waste classified under Chapter 19 of the European Waste Catalogue (EWC)—waste from waste management facilities, off-site wastewater treatment plants, and water supply treatment for industrial use—originating from the treatment of municipal waste. In contrast, the quantity of mixed (unsorted) municipal waste treated decreased by 1.7% (124,000 tonnes).