Irma Lupica
In 2024, approximately 1.1 million tonnes of Waste from Economic Activities were sent for incineration, of which almost 640 thousand tonnes (59.1% of the total) were non-hazardous and over 443 thousand tonnes (40.9%) were hazardous. Overall, 78 operational incineration plants treated this waste, of which 43 were located in Northern Italy, 8 in Central Italy and 27 in Southern Italy. Consistent with the geographical distribution of incineration capacity, the largest share was treated in plants located in Northern Italy (82.4% of the total, corresponding to 892 thousand tonnes), followed by Southern Italy with 14.4% (156 thousand tonnes) and Central Italy with 3.2% (almost 35 thousand tonnes).
An "incineration plant" is defined as any unit and technical equipment, either fixed or mobile, intended for the thermal treatment of waste with or without recovery of the heat produced by combustion. The indicator in question measures the quantities (expressed in tons) of Waste from Economic Activities treated in incineration plants and the corresponding number of plants present in the territory.
The indicator measures the quantities (in tons) of Waste from Economic Activities treated in incineration plants and the number of incineration plants present across the country.
The European regulatory framework for waste incineration is provided by Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and Council of November 24, 2010, concerning industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control), which has been implemented nationally in Title III-bis of Part IV of the Environmental Code (Legislative Decree 152/06). This directive regulates waste incineration and co-incineration for both hazardous and non-hazardous waste, from the construction of plants to the various stages of incineration, from the reception of waste to the disposal of residues.
The directive sets specific provisions regarding:
- Emission limit values
- Methods for sampling, analyzing, and evaluating pollutants from waste incineration and co-incineration plants
- Technical criteria for the construction, functional, and operational characteristics of incineration and co-incineration plants, with particular emphasis on ensuring integrated environmental protection from emissions caused by these plants
- Timelines for compliance with new provisions for existing plants.
The Commission Decision 2019/2010/EU established conclusions on Best Available Techniques (BAT) for waste incineration, which serve as a reference for setting authorization conditions, including emission limit values under normal operating conditions for installations subject to Directive 2010/75/EU (IPPC).
ISPRA - Waste from Economic Activities Report 2026
No limitations
None
ISPRA/ARPA/APPA
ISPRA Single Environmental Declaration Form (MUD) - Waste Registry (http://www.catasto-rifiuti.isprambiente.it).
National, Regional
2011-2024
Quantity and category of Waste from Economic Activities incinerated.
The indicator measures the quantity of Waste from Economic Activities incinerated in Italy. Information is provided by the different waste types, i.e., hazardous and non-hazardous Waste from Economic Activities treated in incineration plants. Additionally, data is provided on incineration quantities both by individual plant and at a regional level. The information is based on the data contained in the Unified Environmental Declaration Form, submitted by the entities identified under Article 189, paragraph 3 of Legislative Decree no. 152/2006 to the Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Crafts, and Agriculture. The indicator also measures the number of Waste from Economic Activities incineration plants.
In 2024, approximately 1.1 million tonnes of Waste from Economic Activities were sent for incineration, of which almost 640 thousand tonnes (59.1% of the total) were non-hazardous and over 443 thousand tonnes (40.9%) were hazardous (Table 1). The total number of plants receiving Waste from Economic Activities was 78, of which 28 were authorised primarily for the treatment of municipal waste and for the treatment of smaller quantities of Waste from Economic Activities (Table 4). In Italy, the incineration of Waste from Economic Activities represents a residual disposal operation and, in 2024, accounted for 0.6% of the total amount of waste managed (over 187 million tonnes). Compared with 2023, the amount of Waste from Economic Activities incinerated remained broadly stable, increasing by 1.7%, or approximately 18 thousand tonnes (Table 1). At the same time, the number of incineration plants increased by four units (Table 3).
In the period 2011–2024, the number of incineration plants decreased by 22 units, while the amount of special waste incinerated increased by 5.4% (Table 1 and Table 3).
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Table 1: Quantity of Waste from Economic Activities incinerated in Italy, by type of waste Data source
ISPRA |
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Table 2: Quantity of total Waste from Economic Activities and hazardous Waste from Economic Activities incinerated in Italy Data source
ISPRA |
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Table 3: Number of incineration plants for Waste from Economic Activities Data source
ISPRA |
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Table 4: Quantity of Waste from Economic Activities treated in incineration plants with energy recovery (R1) – (2024) Data source
ISPRA |
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Figure 1: Trend of Waste from Economic Activities incinerated in Italy, by type of waste Data source
ISPRA |
In 2024, approximately 1.1 million tonnes of waste from economic activities were sent for incineration, of which almost 640 thousand tonnes (59.1% of the total) were non-hazardous waste and more than 443 thousand tonnes (40.9%) were hazardous waste (Table 1). The total number of facilities receiving waste from economic activities was 78, 28 of which were primarily authorised for the treatment of municipal waste (Table 4). In Italy, the incineration of waste from economic activities represents a residual waste treatment operation, accounting for 0.6% of the total amount of waste managed in 2024 (more than 187 million tonnes). Compared with 2023, the quantity of waste from economic activities incinerated remained broadly stable, increasing by 1.7%, corresponding to approximately 18 thousand tonnes (Table 1). At the same time, the number of incineration facilities increased by four (Table 3).