Costanza Mariotta, Jessica Tuscano
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.
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.
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.
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.
ISPRA - Rapporto rifiuti urbani 2023 (previous editions)
CONAI - Programma generale di prevenzione e di gestione degli imballaggi e dei rifiuti di imballaggio - Relazione generale consuntiva 2022
Producer responsibility consortia and autonomous systems – Specific prevention plans
Information drawn from the database of annual environmental declarations (MUD) submitted by obligated entities pursuant to applicable legislation, as well as data held by CONAI and by the producer responsibility consortia and autonomous systems, which are not publicly accessible.
National
2011-2022
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.
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).
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).
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Tabella 1: pippo Fonte
CONAI e Consorzi |
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Table 2: Amount of packaging waste recycled by material type Fonte
Elaborated by ISPRA based on data from CONAI and affiliated Consortia Legenda
*calculated using the new methodology, including reconditioned wooden packaging reintroduced to the market following reprocessing activities |
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Table 3: Packaging recycling rate by material type Fonte
Elaborated by ISPRA based on data from CONAI and affiliated Consortia Legenda
\*calculated using the new calculation methodology, including reconditioned wooden packaging reintroduced into consumption following reprocessing activities |
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Figure 1: Packaging released for consumption on the national market and quantity of packaging recycled_pippo Fonte
CONAI and affiliated Consortia |
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Figure 2: Packaging recycling rate by material type compared with 2008 and 2025 targets (2022) Fonte
Elaborations by ISPRA based on data from CONAI and affiliated Consortia |
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Figure 3: Packaging recycling rate at the European level (2021) Fonte
ISPRA elaborations based on Eurostat data |
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.