PACKAGING WASTE RECYCLING RATE

    Descrizione 1
    Update date
    Authors

    Simona Buscemi, Cristina Frizza, Costanza Mariotta, Jessica Tuscano

    Abstract
    Immagine
    Abstract

    European regulations set ambitious recycling targets for 2025 and 2030 for packaging waste, which represents one of the main monitored waste flows. The packaging waste recycling rate, calculated as the ratio between the amount of waste recycled and the amount of waste produced, tracks progress toward a circular economy by assessing the reintegration of materials into industrial cycles as secondary raw materials. To ensure uniform measurement conditions for the new targets based on the actual quantity of packaging waste reprocessed to create new products, materials, or substances, stringent calculation methodologies have been defined at the European level. With the application of the new methodologies, the targets set for 2025 have already been reached for all packaging fractions, except for plastics. To increase recycling rates, one of the action lines is the development of new treatment technologies, especially for those types of waste that are currently difficult to recover through mechanical processes.

    Description

    The indicator measures the percentage of packaging waste recycled compared to the packaging waste produced. It is assumed that the annual production of packaging waste is equivalent to the packaging put on the market during the same period. The market data is derived from the production of empty packaging, plus packaging imports, minus exports. To ensure the reliability, completeness, and comparability of the data, data from organizations for extended producer responsibility consider specific corrective factors where relevant and applicable.

    Purpose

    To monitor progress towards a circular economy in the "waste management" thematic area. The circular economy is based on optimizing resources through eco-design strategies that ensure greater durability, reusability, upgradeability, and repairability of products, a higher use of recycled materials, and better recyclability when products reach the end of their life cycle. This approach reduces environmental impacts and waste produced. The packaging waste recycling rate directly monitors the amount of material reintegrated into the economy.

    Policy relevance and utility for users
    It is of national scope or it is applicable to environmental issues at the regional level but of national relevance.
    It can describe the trend without necessarily evaluating it.
    It is simple and easy to interpret.
    It is sensitive to changes occurring in the environment and/or in human activities
    It provides a representative picture of environmental conditions, environmental pressures, and societal responses
    It provides a basis for international comparisons.
    Ha una soglia o un valore di riferimento con cui può essere confrontato
    Analytical soundness
    Be based on international standards and international consensus about its validity;
    Be theoretically well founded in technical and scientific terms
    Presents reliability and validity of measurement and data collection methods
    Temporal comparability
    Spatial comparability
    Measurability (data)
    Adequately documented and of known quality
    Updated at regular intervals in accordance with reliable procedures
    Readily available or made available at a reasonable cost/benefit ratio
    An “adequate” spatial coverage
    An “appropriate” temporal coverage
    Main regulatory references and objectives

    Decision 2005/270/ec as amended by implementing decision (eu) 2019/665

    Directive 94/62/ec establishes a harmonised legal framework for the management of packaging and packaging waste within the european union, with the dual aim of preventing and reducing their environmental impact while ensuring a high level of environmental protection, and safeguarding the proper functioning of the internal market. the measures set forth in the directive prioritise the prevention of packaging waste generation, followed by the reuse of packaging, recycling and other forms of recovery, and ultimately the reduction of final disposal, in line with the transition towards a circular economy.

    The eu regulatory framework has progressively defined specific quantitative targets for the recycling and recovery of packaging waste. these targets were raised with the adoption of the legislative instruments contained in the “circular economy package”. in particular, directive (eu) 2018/852, which amends directive 94/62/ec and has been transposed into national law under part iv of legislative decree no. 152/2006, introduced new binding minimum recycling targets, expressed in terms of weight, to be achieved by 2025 and 2030.

    DPSIR
    Response
    Indicator type
    Efficiency (C)
    References

    ISPRA - Rapporto rifiuti urbani 2023 (ed edizioni precedenti) 

    CONAI - Programma generale di prevenzione e di gestione degli imballaggi e dei rifiuti di imballaggio - Relazione generale consuntiva 2022 

    Consorzi di filiera e sistemi autonomi - Piani specifici di prevenzione

    Frequenza di rilevazione dei dati
    Annuale
    Fonte dei dati
    CONAI (Consorzio Nazionale Imballaggi)
    Consorzi di filiera
    Data availabilty

    The information contained in the database of annual environmental declarations (MUD) submitted by obligated entities pursuant to current legislation, as well as that held by CONAI and the sector consortia and autonomous systems, which is not publicly accessible, is utilized.

    Spatial coverage

    National

    Time coverage

    2011-2022

    Processing methodology

    Packaging waste consists of all packaging used for containing, protecting, handling, delivering, and presenting goods, from raw materials to finished products, from the producer to the user or end user, which has been discarded and become waste. It is divided into paper and cardboard, plastic, wood, steel, aluminum, and glass packaging. The indicator is obtained from the ratio between the amount of recycled packaging waste and the total amount of packaging waste produced. It is assumed that the annual production of packaging waste is equivalent to the amount of packaging placed on the market in the same period. The data on market placement is derived from the production of empty packaging added to packaging imports, net of exports; it takes into account the corrective factors necessary to ensure the reliability, completeness, and comparability of the data. The indicator is expressed as a percentage (%), both overall and for individual material fractions. Starting from the data on packaging waste recycled in the reference year 2020, the new calculation rules issued by the implementing decision (EU) 2019/665 of April 17, 2019, amending decision 2005/270/EC, are fully applied. According to these new rules, the weight of packaging waste recovered or recycled refers to the amount of packaging waste that undergoes an actual recovery or recycling process. For the uniform application of the calculation rules and data comparability, the calculation point for the main packaging materials is specified, understood as the point at which packaging waste enters the recycling operation where it is reprocessed to obtain products, materials, or substances that are no longer considered waste, or the point at which waste ceases to be waste following a preparatory operation before being reprocessed. According to the previous calculation rules, however, the quantities of packaging waste sent for recycling were accounted for. The recycling rate also takes into account the quantities of waste refurbished and reintroduced into consumption following reprocessing activities.
     

    Update frequency
    Year
    Qualità dell'informazione

    The indicator is reliable and trustworthy in terms of measurement methods and data collection, is updated annually, and is comparable across regions. regarding comparability over time, the data can be compared from 2011 to 2019 based on the old calculation methodology, and from 2020 onwards based on the new methodology.
     

    State
    Good
    Trend
    Steady
    State assessment/description

    The recovery and recycling targets for 2008 established by European legislation, as well as those set by national legislation for individual material fractions, were achieved and exceeded ahead of schedule (the recovery target was met in 2004, and the recycling target in 2006). With the application of the new calculation methodologies starting from 2020, the targets set for 2025 have already been achieved for all packaging fractions, except for plastic, which is still close to the target (48.9% in 2022, compared to a target of 50%) (Figura 2).

    The total amount of packaging waste recycled in 2022 represents 71.5% of the quantities placed on the market, exceeding the 2025 target of 65% by almost 7 percentage points (Tabella 3 and Figura 2).

    In 2021, compared to other European Union countries, Italy ranks among the top countries for packaging waste recycling rates, well above the European average (Figura 3).

    Trend assessment/description

    The trend of the recycling rate in the last three years (2020-2022) remains virtually stable, increasing from 71.4% in 2020 to 71.5% in 2022 (Tabella 3).

    The amount of packaging placed on the national market stands at approximately 14.5 million tons, remaining largely stable compared to 2021, the year of recovery from the COVID-19 health crisis (-0.2%, corresponding to almost 30,000 tons), in the context of an upward trend in socio-economic indicators (gross domestic product, +3.7%, and final consumption expenditure in the economic territory, +6.1%). When compared to 2011, this data shows an increase of about 25% (Tabella 1 and Figura 1).

    Comments

    European legislation has introduced ambitious recycling targets for packaging waste for 2025 and 2030, which represent one of the main monitored waste streams. In order to ensure uniform measurement conditions for the new targets regarding the actual quantity of packaging waste reprocessed to obtain new products, materials, or substances, stringent calculation methodologies have been defined at the European level for packaging waste. For some material fractions, the national reporting system was already aligned with the new calculation rules, while for others, such as plastic and steel, their application has led to a reduction in the recycling rate, considering the impact of the new assessment of waste on the recycling percentage, as well as issues related to the reporting of composite packaging and the percentage of packaging in waste incineration ashes. With the application of the new calculation methodologies, the targets for 2025 have already been achieved for all packaging fractions, except for plastic (48.9% in 2022, compared to a target of 50%), although the quantities recycled have more than doubled since 2011 (Tabella 2 and 3, and Figura 2). For this fraction, it is therefore a priority to increase recycling. Among the action lines to be implemented, there is the development of new treatment technologies, especially for those types of waste that are currently difficult to recover through mechanical processes. It is also necessary to reduce territorial gaps, and important measures are included in both the National Waste Management Program (PNGR) and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). Furthermore, within the framework of defining a national plastics strategy, it will be essential to address the issue in a coherent manner, ensuring, on one hand, control of environmental dispersion, and on the other, greater valorization.

    Data
    Headline

    Table 1: Packaging released for consumption by material type

    Data source

    CONAI and Consortia

    Headline

    Table 2: Amount of packaging waste recycled by material type

    Data source

    Elaborated by ISPRA based on data from CONAI and affiliated Consortia

    Data legend

    *calculated using the new methodology, including reconditioned wooden packaging reintroduced to the market following reprocessing activities

    Headline

    Table 3: Packaging recycling rate by material type

    Data source

    Elaborated by ISPRA based on data from CONAI and affiliated Consortia
     

    Data legend

    \*calculated using the new calculation methodology, including reconditioned wooden packaging reintroduced into consumption following reprocessing activities
     

    Thumbnail
    Headline

    Figure 1: Packaging released for consumption on the national market and quantity of packaging recycled

    Data source

    CONAI and affiliated Consortia

    Thumbnail
    Headline

    Figure 2: Packaging recycling rate by material type compared with 2008 and 2025 targets (2022)

    Data source

    Elaborations by ISPRA based on data from CONAI and affiliated Consortia

    Thumbnail
    Headline

    Figure 3: Packaging recycling rate at the European level (2021)

    Data source

    ISPRA elaborations based on Eurostat data

    English