The indicator measures the amount of special waste sent abroad for recovery and disposal. In 2022, the total exported special waste amounted to approximately 4.9 million tons, of which 3.4 million tons were non-hazardous waste (70% of the total) and 1.5 million tons were hazardous waste (30% of the total). The largest quantities of waste were sent to Germany and Austria, with 977,000 tons and 600,000 tons, respectively. 

The indicator measures the amount of special waste imported for recovery in production activities. In 2022, the special waste imported into Italy amounted to approximately 6.9 million tons, consisting almost entirely of non-hazardous waste (98.5%). Hazardous waste accounted for only 106,000 tons (1.5% of total imports). The largest quantity came from Germany, about 1.8 million tons (26.1% of total imports), consisting almost entirely of non-hazardous waste (hazardous waste amounted to just 4,650 tons), predominantly metallic waste. France followed, with over 1 million tons (15.6% of the total), also mainly consisting of metallic waste. 

In 2022, the percentage of preparation for reuse and recycling, calculated using Methodology 4 and net of C&D waste from household sources, stood at 49.2%, falling below the 2020 target (50%).